!!!;::.:,!« i    ! 


THE 

HISTORY  OF  VIRGINIA, 

IN    FOUB    PAETS. 


I 

i.      THE   HISTORY   OF  THE   FIRST   SETTLEMENT  OF   VIRGINIA,  AND  THE  GOV 
ERNMENT  THEREOF,  TO  THE  YEAR   1706. 

II.  THE   NATURAL   PRODUCTIONS    AND    CONVENIENCES    OF    THE    COUNTRY,    SUITED 

TO    TRADE    AND    IMPROVEMENT. 

III.  THE  NATIVE  INDIANS,  THEIR  RELIGION,  LAWS  AND  CUSTOMS,  IN  WAR  AND 

PEACE. 

IV.  THE  PRESENT  STATE  OF  THE  COUNTRY,  AS  TO  THE  POLITY  OF  THE  GOV- 

EKNMENT,  AND  THE  IMPROVEMENTS  OF  THE  LAND  THE  10TH  OF  JUNE 

1720. 


BY  ROBERT  BEVERLEY, 

A  native  and  inhabitant  of  the  place. 

REPRINTBD  FROM  THE  AUTHOR'S  SECOND  REVISED  EDITION,  LONDON,  1722. 
WITH  AN  INTRODUCTION 

BY   CHARLES   CAMPBELL, 

Author  of  the  Colonial  History  of  Virginia. 


J.  W.  RANDOLPH, 

121  MAIN   STREET,  RICHMOND,  VIRGINIA. 

1855. 


Entered  according-  to  act  6,f  Coftg*oss,  in  the  year  1855,  by 

.  :  J-..W,  RANDOLPH,    . 

In  the  Clerk's  Office  of  the  District  Court  in  and 'for  the  Eastern  District  of  Virginia. 


H.  K.  ELLYSON'S  STEAM  PRESSES,  RICHMOND,  VA. 


THE    TABLE. 


BOOK  I. 


CHAPTER  I. 

Histoi-y  of  the  first  attempts  to   settle   Virginia,  before  the  discovery  of 
Chesapeake  bay. 

PAGE. 

§1.  Sir  Walter  Raleigh  obtains  letters  patent,  for  making  discoveries  in 

America,              .            .            .            .            .            .  .8 

2.  Two  ships  set  out  on  the  discovery,  and  arrive  at  Roanoke  inlet,  .      9 
Their  account  of  the  country,          .            .            .            .  .9 
Their  account  of  the  natives,           .            .            .            .  .9 

3.  Q,ueen  Elizabeth  names  the  country  of  Virginia,    .            .  .10 

4.  Sir  Richard  Green vile's  voyage,      .            .            .            .  .10 
He  plans  the  first  colony,  under  command  or  Mr.  Ralph  Lane,  .     1 1 

5.  The  discoveries  and  accidents  of  the  first  colony,    .            •  .11 

6.  Their  distress  by  want  of  provisions,          .            .            .  .12 
Sir  Francis  Drake  visits  them,         .            .            .  -12 
He  gives  them  a  ship  and  necessaries,         .                         .  .12 
He  takes  them  away  with  him,       .            .            .            .  .12 

7.  Sir  Walter  Raleigh  and  Sir  Richard  Greenvile,  their  voyages,  .     13 
The  second  settlement  made,           .            .            .            .  .13 

8.  Mr.  John  White's  expedition,          .            .            .            .  .13 
The  first  Indian  made  a  Christian  there,      .            .            .  .14 
The  first  child  born  there  of  Christian  parentage,    .            .  .14 
Third  settlement,  incorporated  by  the  name  of  the  city  of  Raleigh, 

in  Virginia,          .  .  .  .  .  .  .14 

Mr.  White,  their  governor,  sent  home  to  solicit  for  supplies,  .     14 

9.  John  White's  second  voyage  ;  last  attempts  to  carry  them  recruits,     14 
His  disappointment,  .  .  .  .  .  .15 

10.  Capt.  Gosnell's  voyage  to  the  ..coast  of  Cape  Cod,  .  .     15 

11.  The  Bristol  voyages,  .  .  .  .  .  .16 

12.  A  London  voyage,  which  discovered  New  York,  .  *  .16 

CHAPTER    II. 

Discovery  of  Chesapeake  bay  by  the  corporation  of  London  adventurers ; 
their  colony  at  Jamestown,  and  proceedings  during  the  government  by  an 
elective  president  and  council. 

$13.  The  companies  of  London  and  Plymouth  obtr  in  charters,  .     18 

14.  Captain  Smith  first  discovers  the  capes  of  Virginia,          .  .19 

15.  He  plants  his  first  colony  at  Jamestown,    .            .            .  .20 
An  account  of  Jamestown  island,            .            .            ,  .20 

16.  He  sends  the  ships  home,  retaining  one  hundred  and  eight  men 

to  keep  possession,        ,  ,     20 


R67472 


IV  THE     TABLE. 

17.  That  colony's  mismanagement,    .            .            .            .  21 
Their  misfortunes  upon  discovery  of  a  supposed  gold  mine,  21 

18.  Their  first  supplies  after  settlement, 

Their  discoveries,  and  experiments  in  English  grain,        .  ,    22 

x.        An  attempt  of  some  to  desert  the  colony,  ...  22 

19.  The  first  Christian  marriage  in  that  colony,          .            .  23 
They  make  three  plantations  more,            ...  23 

CHAPTER   III. 

History  of  the  colony  after  the  change  of  their  government,  from  an  elective 
president  to  a  commissionated  governor,  until  the  dissolution  of  the  com 
pany. 

§20.  The  company  get  a  new  grant,  and  the  nomination  of  the  gover 
nors  in  themselves,        •  ... 

They  send  three  governors  in  equal  degree,                        .  .     24 

All  three  going  in  one  ship,  are  shipwrecked  at  Bermudas,  .     24 

They  build  there  two  small  cedar  vessels,            .            .  .24 

21 .  Captain  Smith's  return  to  England, 

Mismanagements  ruin  the  colony,            .            .            .  .25 

The  first  massacre  and  starving  time,        .            .            .  .25 

The  first  occasion  of  the  ill  character  of  Virginia,            .  .    26 
The  five  hundred  men  left  by  Captain  Smith  reduced  to  sixty  in 

six  months  time.            .            .            .            .            .  -26 

22.  The  three  governors  sail  from  Bermudas,  and  arrive  at  Virginia,    26 

23.  They  take  off  the  Christians  that  remained  there,  and  design,  by 

way  of  Newfoundland,  to  return  to  England,    .            .  .27 

Lord  Delaware  arrives  and  turns  them  back,         .            .  .27 

24.  Sir  Thomas  Dale  arrives  governor,  with  supplies,            .  •    27 

25.  Sir  Thomas  Gates  arrives  governor,         .             .            .  .28 
He  plants  out  a  new  plantation,  .            .            .            •  .28 

26.  Pocahontas  made  prisoner,  and  married  to  Mr.  Rolfe,       .  .    28 

27.  Peace  with  the  Indians,      .            .            .            .            .  .28 

28.  Pocahontas  brought  to  England  by  Sir  Thomas  Dale,      •  .    29 

29.  Captain  Smith's  petition  to  the  queen  in  her  behalf,          .  .    29 

30.  His  visit  to  Pocahontas,      ....  .32 
An  Indian's  account  of  the  people  of  England,    .            .  .32 

31.  Pocahontas' reception  at  court,  and  death,            .            .  .33 

32.  Captain  Yardley's  government,      .            .            .            .  .34 

33.  Governor  A  rgall's  good  administration,     .            .            .  .34 

34.  Powhatan's  death,  and  successors,            .            .            .  .34 
Peace  renewed  by  the  successors,,           .            .            .  .34 

35.  Captain  Argall's  voyage  from  Virginia  to  New  England,  .    35 

36.  He  defeats  the  French  northward  of  New  England,          .  .    35 

37.  An  account  of  those  French,         .            .            .            .  .36 

38.  He  also  defeats  the  French  in  Acadia,       .            .            .  .36 

39.  His  return  to  England,      .            .            .            .            .  -36 
Sir  George  Yardley,  governor,      .            .            .            .  .36 

40.  He  resettles  the  deserted  plantation,  and  held  the  first  assembly,  .     36 
The  method  of  that  assembly,        .            .            .            .  .37 

41.  The  first  negroes  carried  to  Virginia,         .             .            .  .37 

42.  Land  apportioned  to  adventurers,            .            .            .  .37 
/— -^43.  A  salt  work  and  iron  work  in  Virginia,    .            .            .  .38 

44.  Sir  Francis  Wyat  made  governor,            .  .38 

King  James,  his  instructions  in  care  of  tobacco,            .  .    38 

Captain  Newport's  plantation,       .  38 


THE    TABLE.  V 

45.  Inferior  courts  in  each  plantation,  .  ...    39 
Too  much  familiarity  with  the  Indians,     .            .  ,  .39 

46.  The  massacre  by  the  Indians,  anno  1622,  .  .  .39 

47.  The  discovery  and  prevention  of  it  at  Jamestown,  .  .     40 

48.  The  occasion  of  the  massacre,      .  .  .  .  .41 

49.  A  plot  to  destroy  the  Indians,        .  .  .  .  .42 

50.  The  discouraging  effects  of  the  massacre,  .  .  .43 

51.  The  corporation  in  England  are  the  chief  cause  of  misfortunes  in 

Virginia,  .  .  •  .  .  .  .43 

52.  The  company  dissolved,  and  the  colony  taken  into  the  king's 

hands,  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .44 

CHAPTER  IV. 

History   of  the  government,  from  the  dissolution  of  the  company  to  the 

year  1707. 

$53.  King  Charles  First  establishes  the  constitution  of  government,  in 

the  methods  appointed  by  the  first  assembly,     .  .  .45 

54.  The  ground  of  the  ill  settlement  of  Virginia,        .  .  .45 

55.  Lord  Baltimore  in  Virginia,  .  .  .  .  .46 

56.  Lord  Baltimore,  proprietor  of  Maryland,  .  .  .46 
Maryland  named  from  the  queen,            .            .  .     46 

57.  Young  Lord  Baltimore  seats  Maiyland,     .  .  .  .46 
Misfortune  to  Virginia,  by  making  Maryland  a  distinct  govern 
ment,     .            .            .            .            .            .            .  .47 

58.  Great  grants  and  defalcations  from  Virginia,         .  .  .47 

59.  Governor  Harvey  sent  prisoner  to  England,  and  by  the  king  re 

manded  back  governor  again,    .  .  .  .  .47 

60.  The  last  Indian  massacre,  .  .  .  .  .48 

61.  A  character  and  account  of  Oppechancanough,  the  Indian  em 

peror,             .             .             ,  ....     48 

62.  Sir  William  Berkeley  made  governor,  .            .             .             .49 

63.  He  takes  Oppechancanough  prisoner,  .            .            .            .49 
Oppechancaoough's  death,            .  .            .            .            .50 

64.  A  new  peace  with  the  Indians,  but  the  country  disturbed  by  the 

troubles  in  England,      .  .  .  .  .  -50 

65.  Virginia  subdued  by  the  protector,  Cromwell,      .  .  .50 

66.  He  binds  the  plantations  by  an  act  of  navigation,  .  .    51 

67.  His  jealousy  and  change  of  governors  in  Virginia,  .  .    51 

68.  Upon  the  death  of  Matthews,  the  protector's  governor,  Sir  Wil 

liam  Berkeley  is  chosen  by  the  people,  .  .  .52 

69.  He  proclaims  King  Charles  II  before  he  was  proclaimed  in 

England,  .  .  .  .  .'  •  .52 

70.  King  Charles  II  renews  Sir  William  Berkeley's  commission,        .     52 

71.  Sir  William  Berkeley  makes  Colonel  Morrison  deputy  governor, 

and  goes  to  England,    .                         .  .     53 

The  king  renews  the  act  concerning  the  plantation,            .  .    53 

72.  The  laws   revised,            .            .            .            .            .  .53 

The  church  of  England  established  by  law,           .  .     53 

73.  Clergy  provided  for  by  law,           .             .            .            .  .53 

74.  The  public  charge  of  the  government  sustained  by  law,  .     53 

75.  Encouragement  of  particular  manufactures  by  law,  .     54 

76.  The  instruction  for  all  ships  to  enter  at  Jamestown,  used  by  law,    54 

77.  Indian  affairs  settled  by  law,          .            .            .            .  -54 

78.  Jamestown  encouraged  by  law,     .  .     54 

79.  Restraints  upon  sectaries  in  religion,        .  ,     55 


VI  THETABLE, 

80.  A  plot  to  subvert  the  government,  ....     55 

81 .  The  defeat  of  the  plot,     . 

82.  An  anniversary  feast  upon  that  occasion,  .  .      56 

83.  The  king  commands  the  building  a  fort  at  Jamestown,  .      56 

84.  A  new  restraint  on  the  plantations  by  act  of  parliament,  .      56 

85.  Endeavors  for  a  stint  in  planting  tobacco,  .  .  .56 

86.  Another  endeavor  at  a  stint  defeated,        .  .  .  .57 

87.  The  king  sent  instructions  to  build  forts,  and  confine  the  trade  to 

certain  ports,    ..... 

88.  The  disappointment  of  those  ports,          .  .  .  .58 

89.  Encouragement  of  manufactures  enlarged,          .  58 

90.  An  attempt  to  discovery  the  country  backward,  .  .      59 
Captain  Batt's  relation  of  that  discovery, 

91.  Sir  William  Berkeley  intends  to  procecute  that  discovery  in  person,  60 

92.  The  grounds  of  Bacon's  rebellion,  .  .60 
Four  ingredients  thereto,              .... 

93.  First,  the  low  price  of  tobacco,     .            .            .            .  .61 
Second,  splitting  the  country  into  proprieties,      .             .  .61 
The  country  send  agents,  to  complain  of  the  propriety  grants,     .      61 

94.  Third,  new  duties  by  act  in  England  on  the  plantations,  .      62 

95.  Fourth,  disturbances  on  the  land  frontiers  by  the  Indians,  .      62 
First,  by  the  Indians  on  the  head  of  the  bay,       .  .      62 
Second,  by  the  Indians  on  their  own  frontiers,     .            .  .63 

96.  The  people  rise  against  the  Indians, 

They  choose  Nathan  Bacon,  jr.,  for  their  leader,  .  .      63 

97.  He  heads  them,  and  sends  to  the  governor  for  a  commission,       .       64 

98.  He  begins  his  march  without  a  commission,        .  .  .64 
The  governor  sends  for  him,        .            .            .            .            .65 

99.  Bacon  goes  down  in  a  sloop  with  forty  of  his  men  to  the  governor,  65 

100.  Goes  away  in  a  huff,  is  pursued  and  brought  back  by  governor,        65 

101.  Bacon  steals  privately  out  of  town,  and  marches  down  to  the  as 

sembly  with  six  hundred  of  his  volunteers,      .  .  .65 

102.  The  governor,  by  advice  of  assembly,  signs  a  commission  to  Mr. 

Bacon  to  be  general,     .            .            .            .  .  .66 

103.  Bacon  being  marched  away  with  his  men  is  proclaimed  rebel,    .      66 

104.  Bacon  returns  with  his  forces  to  Jamestown,       .  .  .66 

105.  The  governor  flies  to  Accomac,  .            .            .  .  .66 
The  people  there  begin  to  make  terms  with  him,  .  .      67 

106.  Bacon  holds  a  convention  of  gentlemen,              .  .  67 
They  propose  to  take  an  oath  to  him,      .            .  .  .67 

107.  The  forms  of  the  oath,     ...  .      67 

108.  The  governor  makes  head  against  him,    .            .  .  .69 
General  Bacon's  death,    .                         .            .  .       09 

109.  Bacon's  followers  surrender  upon  articles,            .  .  .69 

110.  The  agents  compound  with  trie  proprietors,         .  .  .69 

111.  A  new  charter  to  Virginia,           .            .            .  .  .70 

112.  Soldiers  arrive  from  England,      .            .            .  .  .70 

113.  The  dissolution  by  Bacon's  rebellion,       .  70 

114.  Commissioners  arrive  in  Virginia,  and  Sir  William  Berkeley  re 

turns  to  England,          .  .  .  .  .  .71 

115.  Herbert  Jeffreys,  esq.,  governor,  concludes  peace  with  Indians,        71 

116.  Sir  Henry  Chicheley,  deputy  governor,  builds  forts  against  Indians,  71 
The  assembly  prohibited  the  importation  of  tobacco,        .  .      72 

117.  Lord  Colepepper,  governor,         .  .  .  .  .72 

118.  Lord  Colepepper's  first  assembly,  .  .      72 
He  passes  several  obliging  acts  to  the  country,     .            .            ,72 


THE     TABLE.  VII 

119.  He  doubles  the  governor's  salary,             .             .            .  .72 

120.  He  imposes  the  perquisite  of  ship  money,            .            .  .73 

121.  He,  by  proclamation,,  raises  the  value  of  Spanish  coins,  and 

'   lowers  it  again,             .            .            .            .            .  .73 

122.  Sir  Henry  Chicheley,  deputy  go vernor.,  .  74 
The  plant  cutting,            .            .            .            .            .  .74 

123.  Lord  Colepepper's  second  assembly,        .  .75 
He  takes  away  appeals  to  the  assembly,               .  .      75 

124.  His  advantage  thereby  in  the  propriety  of  the  Northern  Neck,     .      76 

125.  He  retrenches  the  new  methods  of  court  proceedings,      .  .      77 

126.  He  dismantled  the  forts  on  the  heads  of  rivers,  and  appointed 

rangers  in  their  stead,  .             .             .             .             .  .77 

1 27.  Secretary  Spencer,  president, 

128.  Lord  Em'ngham,  governor,          .            .            .            .  .77 
Some  of  his  extraordinary  methods  of  getting  money,     .  .      77 
Complaints  against  him,               .            .            .            .  .78 

129.  Duty  on  liquors  first  raised,          ...  .78 

130.  Court  of  Chancery  by  Lord  Em'ngham,               .            .  .78 

131.  Colonel  Bacon,  president,            .            .            .            .  .79 
The  college  designed,       .             .            .            .            .  .79 

132.  Francis  Nicholson,  lieutenant  governor,   .            .            .  .79 
He  studies  popularity,      .            .            .             ,            .  ,79 
The  college  proposed  to  him,       .            .            .             .  .79 
He  refuses  to  call  an  assembly,   .             .             .            .  .79 

133.  He  grants  a  brief  to  the  college,               .            .            .  .79 

134.  The  assembly  address  King  William  and  Q,ueen  Mary  for  a  col 

lege  charter,     .            .            .            .            .            .  .80 

The  education  intended  by  this  college,     .            .            .  .80 

The  assembly  present  the  lieutenant  governor,     .            .  .80 

His  method  of  securing  this  present,       .            .            .  .80 

135.  Their  majesties  grant  the  charter,             .            .            .  .80 
They  grant  liberally  towards  the  building  and  endowing  of  it,  .       80 

136.  The  lieutenant  governor  encourages  towns  and  manufactures,    .       80 
Gentlemen  of  the  council  complain  of  him  and  are  misused,  .      81 
He  falls  off  from  the  encouragement  of  the  towns  and  trade,  .      81 

137.  Edmund  Andros,  governor,         .            .            .            .  .81 
The  town  law  suspended,            .            .            .            .  .81 

138.  The  project  of  a  post  office,          .            .            .            .  .81 

139.  The  college  charter  arrived,          .            .            .            .  .81 
The  college  further  endowed,  and  the  foundation  laid,     .  .      82 

140.  Sir  Edmund  Andros   encourages   manufactures,  and  regulates 

the  secretary's  office,    .            .            .            .            .  .82 

141.  A  child  born  in  the  old  age  of  the  parents,           .            .  .83 

142.  Francis  Nicholson,  governor,       .            .            .            .  .83 
His  and  Colonel  (iuarrey's  memorials  against  plantations,  .      84 

143.  His  zeal  for  the  church  and  college,          .            .            .  .84 

144.  He  removes  the  general  court  from  Jamestown,  .            .  .      84 

145.  The  taking  of  the  pirate,              .            .            .            .  .84 

146.  The  sham  bills  of  nine  hundred  pounds  for  New  York, .  .      86 

147.  Colonel  (iuarrey's  unjust  memorials,      .             .            .  .87 

148.  Governor  Nott  arrived,     .            .            .            .            .  .88 

149.  Revisal  of  the  law  finished,         .            .            .            .  .88 

150.  Ports  and  towns  again  set  on  foot,           .            .            .  .88 

151.  Slaves  a  real  estate,          ,            .            .            .            .  .88 

152.  A  house  built  for  the  governor,    .            .            .            .  .88 
Governor  dies,  and  the  college  burnt,       .  88 


VIII  THE     TABLE. 

153. -Ed mond  Jennings,  esq.,  president,  .  .  .  .89 

154.  Alexander  Spotswood,  lieutenant  governor,          .  .  .89 

B  0  0  K    1 1 . 

Natural    Productions    and    Conveniences    of    Virginia   in   its 
unimproved   state,   before   the   English   went   thither. 

CHAPTER  I. 
Bounds  and   Coast  of   Virginia. 

§1.  Present  bounds  of  Virginia,  ...  .90 

2.  Chesapeake  bay,  and  the  sea  coast  of  Virginia,      .  .  .91 

3'  What  is  meant  by  the  word  Virginia  in  this  book, 

CHAPTER    II. 
Of  the    Waters. 

§4.  Conveniency  of  the  bay  and  rivers, 

5.  Springs  and  fountains  descending  to  the  rivers, 

6.  Damage  to  vessels  by  the  worm,  ,  . 
Ways  of  avoiding  that  damage,    . 

CHAPTER  III. 
Earths,  and  Soils. 

§7 .  The  soil  in  general,  .  .  .  .  .  .96 

River  lands — lower,  middle  and  upper,     . 

8.  Earths  and  clays,  .  ... 
Coal,  slate  and  stone,  and  why  not  used,  . 

9.  Minerals  therein,  and  iron  mine  formerly  wrought  upon,  .      98 
Supposed  gold  mines  lately  discovered,      .            .            .             .99 
That  this  gold  mine  was  the  supreme  seat  of  the  Indian  temples 

formerly,  .......      99, 

That  their  chief  altar  was  there  also,         .  .  .  .99 

Mr.  Whitaker's  account  of  a  silver  mine,  .  .  .99 

10.  Hills  in  Virginia,  ....  .100 

Springs  in  the  high  lands,  .  .  .  .  .101 

CHAPTER   IV. 

Wild   Fruits. 
§11.  Spontaneous  fruits  in  general,      .  .  .  .  .102 

12.  Stoned  fruits,  viz  :  cherries,  plums  and  persimmons,       .  .102 

13.  Berries,  viz :  mulberries,  currants,  hurts,  cranberries,  raspberries 

and  strawberries,          .            .            .            .            .  .103 

14.  Of  nuts,  .  104 

15.  Of  grapes,  .     105 
The  report  of  some  French  vignerons  formerly  sent  in  thither,  .     107 

16.  Honey,  and  the  sugar  trees,        .            .            .            .  .107 

17.  Myrtle  tree,  and  myrtle  wax,      .            .            .            .  .108 
Hops  growing  wild,        .            .            .            .            .  .109 

18.  Great  variety  of  seeds,  plants  and  flowers,           .            .  .109 
Two  snake  roots,             .            .            .            .            .  .109 

Jamestown  weed,            .            .            .            .            .  .110 

Some  curious  flowers,     .             .             .            .            .  .Ill 


THETABLE.  IX 

19.  Creeping  vines  bearing  fruits,  viz :  melons,  pompions,  macocks, 

gourds,  maracocks,  and  cushaws,        .  .  .  .112 

20.  Other  fruits,  roots  and  plants  of  the  Indians,  .  .  .114 
Several  sorts  of  Indian  corn,        .            .  .  .  .114 
Of  potatoes, 

Tobacco,  as  it  was  ordered  by  the  Indians,  .     116 

CHAPTER  V. 
Fish. 

$21.  Great  plenty  and  variety  of  fish, 

Vast  shoals  of  herrings,  shad,  &,c.,  .  .117 

22.  Continuality  of  the  fishery,          ..... 
The  names  of  some  of  the  best  edible  fish,          .  .  .118 
The  names  of  some  that  are  not  eaten,     .... 

23.  Indian  children  catching  fish,       ..... 
Several  inventions  of  the  Indians  to  take  fish, 

24.  Fishing  hawks  and  bald  eagles,  .....     121 
Fish  dropped  in  the  orchard,        .....     121 

CHAPTER  VI. 
Wild  Fowl  and  Hunted  Game. 

$25.  Wild  Water  Fowl,  123 

26.  Game  in  the  marshes  and  watery  grounds,  .  .  .123 

27.  Game  in  the  highlands  and  frontiers,        .  .  .  .123 
Of  the  Opossum,             .            .            .  .  .  .  .  124 

28.  Some  Indian  ways  of  hunting,     .            .  .  .  .124 

Fire  hunting,       .            .            .            .  .  .  .124 

Their  hunting  quarters,    .            .            .  .  .  .125 

29.  Conclusion,    v  ...     126 

BOOK    III. 

Indians,  their  Religion,  Laws  and  Customs,  in  War  and  Peace, 

CHAPTER    I. 
Persons  of  the  Indians,  and  their  Dress. 

$1.  Persons  of  the  Indians,  their  color  and  shape,        .  .  .127 

2.  The  cut  of  their  hair,  and  ornament  of  their  head,  .  .128 

3.  Of  their  vesture,     .            .            .            .            .  .  .128 

4.  Garb  peculiar  to  their  priests  and  conjurors,          .  .  .130 

5.  Of  the  women's  dress,       .            .            .            .  .  .131 

CHAPTER   II. 
Matrimony  of  the  Indians.,  and  Management  of  their  Children. 

§6.  Conditions  of  their  marriage,        .  .  .  .  .133 

7.  Maidens,  and  the  story  of  their  prostitution.  .  .  .133 

8.  Management  of  the  young  children,          .  .  .  .134 

CHAPTER   III. 
Towns,  Building  and  Fortification  of  the  Indians. 

9.  Towns  and  kingdoms  of  the  Indians,        .  .  .  .135 
0.  Manner  of  their  building,            .                         .            .  .135 

11.  Their  fuel,  or  firewood,     .  .  .136 


X  THE     TABLE. 

12.  Their  seats  and  lodging,    .  ....     136 

13.  Their  fortifications,            ....  .136 

CHAPTER   IV. 

Cookery  and  Food  of  the  Indians. 

§14.  Their  cookery, 133 

15.  Their  several  sorts  of  food,          .            .            .  .            .139 

16.  Their  times  of  eating,      .            .            .            .  .            .140 

17.  Their  drink, 140 

18.  Their  ways  of  dining,      •            .            .            .<  .            -141 

CHAPTER    V. 

Traveling,  Reception  and  entertainment  of  the  Indians. 

§19.  Manner  of  their  traveling,  and  provision  they  make  for  it,  .     142 
Their  way  of  concealing  their  course, 

20.  Manner  of  their  reception  of  strangers, 
The  pipe  of  peace,  ... 

21.  Their  entertainment  of  honorable  friends,            .  .            .     145 

CHAPTER  VI. 

Learning  and  Languages  of  the  Indians. 

§22.  That  they  are  without  letters,        .            .            .  .            .147 

Their  descriptions  by  hieroglyphics,        .            ,  .            .140 

Heraldry  and  arms  of  the  Indians,          .            .  .            .147 

23.  That  they  have  different  languages,          .            .  .            ,148 

Their  general  language,  .            .            .            .  -148 

CHAPTER   VII. 
War  and  Peace  of  the  Indians. 

§24.  Their  consultations  and  war  dances,        .            ,  .            .149 

25.  Their  barbarity  upon  a  victory,    .            .            .  .            .149 

26.  Descent  of  the  crown,      .            .                         .  .            .150 

27.  Their  triumphs  for  victory,          .            .            ,  .            -150 

28.  Their  treaties  of  peace,  and  ceremonies  upon  conclusion  of  peace,     151 

CHAPTER    VIII. 
Religion,  Worship  and  Superstitious  Customs  of  the  Indians. 

§29.  Their  quioccassan  and  idol  of  worship,            .  .            .152 

30.  Their  notions  of  God,  and  worshiping  the  evil  spirit,  .            -155 

31.  Their  pawwawing  or  conjurations,          ....     157 

32.  Their  huskanawing,         .            .            .            .  .160 

33.  Reasons  of  this  custom,  .            .             .            .  .            .164 

34.  Their  offerings  and  sacrifice,        .            .            .  .            .165 

35.  Their  set  feasts,    •  .165 

36.  Their  account  of  time,     .            .            .            .  .            .165 

37.  Their  superstition  and  zealotry,    .            .            .  .            .166 
,38.  Their  regard  to  the  priests  and  magicians,            .  .            .167 

39.  Places  of  their  worship  and  sacrifice,      .            .  .            .168 
Their  pawcorances  or  altar  stones,            .            .  .            .168 

40.  Their  care  of  the  bodies  of  their  princes  after  death.  .            .169 


THETABLE.  XI 

CHAPTER    IX. 

Diseases  and  Cures  of  the  Indians. 

$41.  Their  diseases  in  general,  and  burning  for  cure,  .  .171 

Their  sucking,  scarifying  and  blistering,             .  .  .171 

Priests' secrecy  in  the  virtues  of  plants,  .            .  .  .171 

Words  wisoccan,  wighsacan  and  woghsacan,     .  .  .     172 

Their  physic,  and  the  method  of  it,          .            .  .  .172 
42.  Their  bagnios  or  baths,               .....     172 

Their  oiling  after  sweating,           .             .            .  .  .173 

CHAPTER    X. 
Sports  and   Pastimes  of  the  Indians. 

$43.  Their  sports  and  pastimes  in  general,       •  .  .  .175 

Their  singing,       .  .  .  .  .  .  -175 

Their  dancing,     .  .  .  .  .  ,  1 75 

A  mask  used  among  them,          .  .  .  .  .176 

Their  musical  instruments,          .....     177- 

CHAPTER   XI. 

Laws,  and  •Authorities  ff  the  Indians  among  one  another. 

$44.  Their  laws  in  general,      .            .            .  .  .  .178 

Their  severity  and  ill  manners,     .            .  .  .  .178 

Their  implacable  resentments,      .            .  .  .  .179 

45.  Their  honors,  preferments  and  authorities,  .  .  .179 

Authority  of  the  priests  and  conjurers,  .  .  .      .     179 

Servants  or  black  boys,    .            .            .  .  .  -179 

CHAPTER   XII. 
Treasure  or  Riches  of  the  Indians. 

§46.  Indian  money  and  goods,  .  .  .  .  .180 

CHAPTER   XIII. 

Handicrafts  of  the  Indians. 

§47.  Their  lesser  crafts,  as  making  bows  and  arrows,  .  .182 

48.  Their  making  canoes,      .  .  .  .  .  .182 

Their  clearing  woodland  ground,  ....    183 

49.  Account  of  the  tributary  Indians,  .  .  .  .     1 85 

BOOK  IV. 

Present  State  of  Virginia. 
PART    I. 

Polity  and  Government. 
CHAPTER   I. 

Constitution  of  Government  in  Virginia. 

§1.  Constitution  of  government  in  general,      .  186 

2.  Governor,  his  authority  and  salary,  .  .  ,  ,188 


XII 


THE     TABLE. 


3.  Council  and  their  authority, 

4.  House  of  burgesses, 


189 
190 


CHAPTER   II. 
Sub -Divisions  of  Virginia. 

§5.  Division  of  the  country,     ......     192 

6.  Division  of  the  country  by  necks  of  land.,  counties  and  parishes,   .     192 

7.  Division  of  the  country  by  districts  for  trade  by  navigation,  .     194 

CHAPTER  III. 

Public  Offices  of  Government. 

§8.  General  officers  as  are  immediately  commissionated  from  the  throne,  196 

Auditor,  Receiver  General  and  Secretary,  19fr 

Salaries  of  those  officers,  .  197 

*9.  Other  general  officers,  .  197 
Ecclesiastical  commissary  and  country's  treasurer 

10.  Other  public  officers  by  commission,  197 
Escheators, 

Naval  officers  and  collectors,          .  198 

Clerks  and  sheriffs, 

Surveyors  of  land  and  coroners,     .  199 

11.  Other  officers  without  commission,  199 

*  CHAPTER    IV. 

Standing  Revenues  or  Public  Funds. 

$12.  Public  funds  in  general,    .  .    200 

13.  Q,uit  rent  fund, 200 

14.  Funds  for  maintenance  of  the  government,          .  .  .    201 

15.  Funds  for  extraordinary  occasions,  under  the  disposition  of  the  as 

sembly,  .......    201 

16.  Revenue  granted  by  the  act  of  assembly  to  the  college,  .  .     202 

17.  Revenue  raised  by  act  of  parliament  in  England  from  the  trade 


there, 

CHAPTER    V. 

Levies  for  Payment  of  the  Public,  County  and  Parish  Debts. 

§18.  Several  ways  of  raising  money, 
Titheables, 

19.  Public  levy, 

20.  County  levy, 

21.  Parish  levy, 

CHAPTER   VI. 

Courts  of  Law  in  Virginia. 

§22.  Constitution  of  their  courts, 

23.  Several  sorts  of  courts  among  them, 

24.  General  court  in  particular,  and  its  jurisdiction,  . 


202 


203 
203 
203 
204 
204 


205 
206 
206 


THE     TABLE.  XIII 

25.  Times  of  holding  a  general  court,  .  .  206 

26.  Officers  attending  this  court,         ....  206 

27.  Trials  by  juries  and  empannelling  grand  juries,  .  .  207 

28.  Trial  of  criminals,  .....  207 

29.  Time  of  suits,      .  ...  208 

30.  Lawyers  and  pleadings,  .....  208 

31.  County  courts,      ......  208 

32.  Orphans'  courts, 

CHAPTER    VII. 
Church  and   Church  Affairs. 

§33.  Parishes,  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .210 

34.  Churches  and  chapels  in  each  parish,      .  .  .    210 

35.  Religion  of  the  country, .  .  .  .  .  .210 

36.  Benefices  of  the  clergy,  .  .  .  .  .  .210 

37.  Disposition  of  parochial  affairs,  .  .  .  .  .211 

38.  Probates,  administrations,  and  marriage  licenses,  .  .    212 

39.  Induction  of  ministers,  and  precariousness  of  their  livings,  .     213 

CHAPTER   VIII. 

Concerning  the  College. 

§40.  College  endowments,        ......    214 

41.  The  college  a  corporation,  .  .  .  .  .    214 

42.  Governors  and  visitors  of  the  college  in  perpetual  succession,    .     215 

43.  College  buildings,  .  .  .  .  .  .215 

44.  Boys  and  schooling,         .  .  .  .  .  .215 

CHAPTER   IX. 
Military  Strength  in  Virginia. 

§45.  Forts  and  fortifications,     .  .  .  . 

46.  Listed  militia,       .......    217 

47.  Number  of  the  militia,      .  .    217 

48.  Service  of  the  militia,      .  .  .  .  .218 

49.  Other  particulars  of  the  troops  and  companies,  . 

CHAPTER   X. 
Servants  and  Slaves. 

§50.  Distinction  between  a  servant  and  a  slave,  .  .  .219 

51.  Work  of  their  servants  and  slaves,          ....    219 

52.  Laws  in  favor  of  servants,  .....    220 

CHAPTER  XI. 
Provision  for  the  Poor,  and  other  Public  Charitable  Works. 

§53.  Legacy  to  the  poor,         ......    223 

54.  Parish  methods  in  maintaining  their  poor, 

55.  Free  schools,  and  schooling  of  children,  ....    224 

CHAPTER   XII. 
Tenure  of  Lands  and  Grants. 

§56.  Tenure  and  patents  of  their  lands,  ....    225 

57.  Several  ways  of  acquiring  grants  of  land,  .  .    225 


XIV 


THE     TABLE . 


58.  Rights  to  land,     ..... 

59.  Patents  upon  survey,      ..... 

60.  Grants  of  lapsed  land,      ..... 

61.  Grants  of  escheat  land,    ..... 

CHAPTER   XIII. 
Liberties  and  Naturalization  of  Miens. 

§62.  Naturalizations,    ..... 
63.  French  refugees  at  the  Manican  town,     . 

CHAPTER  XIV. 

Currency  and  Valuation  of  Coins. 

§64.  Coins  current  among  ttiem,  what  rates,  and  why  carried 
among  them  to  the  neighboring  plantations, 

PART    II. 
Husbandry  and  Improvements. 

CHAPTER   XV. 
Peopk,  Inhabitants  of  Virginia. 

$65.  First  peopling  of  Virginia, 

66.  First  accession  of  wives  to  Virginia, 

67.  Other  ways  by  which  the  country  was  increased  in  people, 

CHAPTER    XVI. 


225 
225 
226 
227 


.    228 

228 


from 
,    230 


Buildings  in  Virginia. 


§68.  Public  buildings, 
69.  Private  buildings, 


CHAPTER   XVII. 

Edibks,  Potables  and  Fuel. 


§70.  Cookery, 

71.  Flesh  and  fish,      . 

72.  Bread,      . 

73.  Their  kitchen  gardens, 

74.  Their  drinks, 

75.  Their  fuel, 

CHAPTER   XVIII, 

Ckthing  in  Virginia. 

§76.  Clothing,  ...... 

Slothfulness  in  handicrafts, 

CHAPTER   XIX. 

Temperature  of  the  Climate,  and  the  Inconveniences  attending  it. 

§77.  Natural  temper  and  mixture  of  the  air,    . 
78.  Climate  and  happy  situation  of  the  latitude. 


23i 
231 

232 


234 
235 


236 
236 
237 
237 
238 
238 


239 
239 


240 
240 


THE     TABLE.  XV 

79.  Occasions  of  its  ill  character,        .....    241 
Rural  pleasures,  .  .  .  .  .  .  .241 

80.  Annoyances,  or  occasions  of  uneasiness,  .  .  .     243 

Thunders,          .  .  .  .  .  .  .243 

Heat, .243 

Troublesome  insects,       ......    243 

81.  Winters,  .  .  .  .  .  .  .250 

Sudden  changes  of  the  weather,  ....    251 

CHAPTER   XX. 
Diseases  incident  to  the  Country. 

§82.  Diseases  in  general,  .......    252 

83.  Seasoning,            .  .            .            .            .            .            .253 

84.  Cachexia  and  yaws,  .                         ....    253 

85.  Gripes,     .  ....                        .253 

CHAPTER   XXI. 
Recreations  and  Pastimes  in  Virginia- 

§86.  Diversions  in  general,      ....  .    254 

87.  Deer-hunting,       .....  .    254 

88.  Hare-hunting,      .....  .     254 

89.  Vermin-hunting,  ....  .     255 

90.  Taking  wild  turkies,        ....  .256 

91.  Fishing,  ......  .256 

92.  Small  game,        .  .  .  .256 

93.  Beaver,  .....  .256 

94.  Horse-bating,    .....  .    257 

95.  Hospitality,         .....  .    258 

CHAPTER   XXII. 
Natural  Product  of  Virginia,  and  the  Advantages  of  Husbandry. 

§96.  Fruits,      .  .  f  .  .  .  :  :    259 

97.  Grain,       .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .261 

98.  Linen,  silk  and  cotton,      ......    261 

99.  Bees  and  cattle,    /......    262 

100.  Usefulness  of  the  woods,  .  .  .  .  .  .263 

101.  Indolence  of  the  inhabitants,        .  .  .     263 


THE    PREFACE. 


My  FIRST  business  in  the  world  being  among  the  public  records  of 
my  country,  the  active  thoughts  of  my  youth  put  me  upon  taking 
notes  of  the  general  administration  of  the  government;  but  with  no 
other  design,  than  the  gratification  of  my  own  inquisitive  mind;  these 
lay  by  me  for  many  years  afterwards,  obscure  and  secret,  and  would 
forever  have  done  so,  had  not  the  following  accident  produced  them : 

In  the  year  1703,  my  affairs  calling  me  to  England,  I  was  soon 
after  rny  arrival,  complimented  by-  my  bookseller  with  an  intimation, 
that  there  was  prepared  for  printing  a  general  account  of  all  her  ma 
jesty's  plantations  in  America,  and  his  desire,  that  I  would  overlook 
it  before  it  was  put  to  the  press;  I  agreed  to  overlook  that  part  of  it 
which  related  to  Virginia. 

Soon  after  this  he  brings  me  about  six  sheets  of  paper  written, 
which  contained  the  account  of  Virginia  and  Carolina.  This  it  seems 
was  to  have  answered  a  part  of  Mr.  Oldmixion's  British  Empire  in 
America.  I  very  innocently,  (when  I  began  to  read,)  placed  pen  and 
paper  by  me,  and  made  my  observations  upon  the  first  page,  but 
found  it  in  the  sequel  so  very  faulty,  and  an  abridgement  only  of 
some  accounts  that  had  been  printed  sixty  or  seventy  years  ago ;  in 
which  also  he  had  chosen  the  most  strange  and  untrue  parts,  and 
left  out  the  more  sincere  and  faithful,  so  that  I  laid  aside  all  thoughts 
of  further  observations,  and  gave  it  only  a  reading;  and  my  bookseller 
for  answer,  that  the  account  was  too  faulty  and  too  imperfect  to  be 
mended ;  withal  telling  him,  that  seeing  I  had  in  my  junior  days 
taken  some  notes  of  the  government,  which  I  then  had  with  me  in  Eng 
land,  I  would  make  him  an  account  of  my  own  country,  if  I  could  find 
time,  while  I  staid  in  London.  And  this  I  should  the  rather  undertake  in 
justice  to  so  fine  a  country,  because  it  has  been  so  misrepresented  to 
the  common  people  of  England,  as  to  make  them  believe  that  the  ser 
vants  in  Virginia  are  made  to  draw  in  cart  and  plow  as  horses  and 
oxen  do  in  England,  and  that  the  country  turns  all  people  black  who 
2:0  to  live  there,  with  other  such  prodigious  phantasms. 

Accordingly,  before  I  left  London,  I  gave  him  a  short  history  of  the 
country,  from  the  first  settlement,  with  an  account  of  its  then  state; 
but  I  would  not  let  him  mingle  it  with  Oldmixion's  other  account  of 
the  plantations,  because  I  took  them  to  be  all  of  a  piece  with  those  I 
had  SPPH  of  Virginia  and  Carolina,  but  desired  mine  to  be  printed 
C 


XVIII  PREFACE. 

by  itself.  And  this  I  take  to  be  the  only  reason  of  that  gentleman's  re 
flecting  so  severely  upon  me  in  his  book,  for  I  never  saw  him  in  my  life 
that  I  know  of. 

But  concerning  that  work  of  his,  I  may  with  great  truth  say,  that 
(notwithstanding  his  boast  of  having  the  assistance  of  many  original 
papers  and  memorials  that  I  had  not  the  opportunity  of)  he  nowhere 
varies  from  the  account  that  I  gave,  nor  advances  anything  new  of  his 
own,  but  he  commits  so  many  errors,  and  imposes  so  many  falsities 
upon  the  world,  To  instance  some  few  out  of  the  many: 

Page  210,  he  says  that  they  were  near  spent  with  cold,  which  is 
impossible  in  that  hot  country. 

Page  220,  he  says  that  Captain  Weymouth,  in  1605,  entered  Pow- 

hatan  river  southward  of  the  bay  of  Chesapeake ; whereas 

Powhatan  river  is  now  called  James  river,  and  lies  within  the  mouth 
of  Chesapeake  bay  some  miles,  on  the  west  side  of  it;  and  Captain 
Weymouth's  voyage  was  only  to  Hudson's  river,  which  "is  in  New 
York,  much  northward  of  the  capes  of  Virginia. 

Page  236,  he  jumbles  the  Potomac  and  eastern  shore  Indians  as  if 
they  lived  together,  and  never  quarrelled  with  the  English ;  whereas 
the  last  lived  on  the  east  side  the  great  bay  of  Chesapeake,  and  the 
other  on  the  west.  The  eastern  shore  Indians  never  had  any  quarrel 
with  the  English,  but  the  Potomacs  used  many  treacheries  and  enmities 
towards  us,  and  joined  in  the  intended  general  massacre,  but  by  a 
timely  discovery  were  prevented  doing  anything. 

Page  245,  he  says  that  Morrison  held  an  assembly,  and  procured 
that  body  of  laws  to  be  made;  whereas  Morrison  only  made  an  abridg 
ment  of  the  laws  then  in  being,  and  compiled  them  into  a  regular 
body;  and  this  he  did  by  direction  of  Sir  William  Berkeley,  who, 
upon  his  going  to  England,  left  Morrison  his  deputy  governor. 

Page  248,  he  says  (viz:  in  Sir  William  Berkeley's  time)  the 
English  could  send  seven  thousand  men  into  the  field,  and  have 
twice  as  many  at  home;  whereas  at  this  day  they  cannot  do  that,  and 
yet  have  three  times  as  many  people  in  the  country  as  they  had  then. 

By  page  251,  he  seems  altogether  ignorant  of  the  situation  of  Vir 
ginia,  the  head  of  the  bay  and  New  York,  for  he  there  says  : 

'*  When  the  Indians  at  the  head  of  the  bay  traveled  to  New  York, 
they  past,  going  and  coming,  by  the  frontiers  of  Virginia,  and  traded 
with  the  Virginians,  &c,;"  whereas  the  head  of  the  bay  is  in  the 
common  route  of  the  Indians  traveling  from  New  York  to  Virginia, 
and  much  about  halfway. 

Page  255,  he  says  Sir  William  Berkeley  withdrew  himself  from  his 
government;  whereas  he  went  not  out  of  it,  for  the  counties  of  Acco- 
mac  and  Northampton,  to  which  he  retired,  when  the  rebels  rose, 


PREFACE.  XIX 

were  two  counties  ot'  his  government,  and  only  divided  from  the  rest 
by  the  bay  of  Chesapeake. 

Page  266,  he  says,  Dr.  Thomas  Bray  went  over  to  be  president  of 
Uic  college  in  Virginia;  whereas  he  was  sent  to  Maryland,  as  the 
bishop's  commissary  there.  And  Mr.  Blair,  in  the  charter  to  the  college, 
was  made  president  during  life,  and  is  still  alive.  He  also  says,  that 
all  that  was  subscribed  for  the  college  came  to  nothing;  whereas  all 
the  subscriptions  were  in  a  short  time  paid  in,  and  expended  upon  the 
college,  of  which  two  or  three  stood  suit,  and  were  cast. 

Page  269,  he  tells  of  camels  brought  by  some  Guina  ships  to  Vir 
ginia,  but  had  not  then  heard  how  they  throve  with  us.  I  don't  know 
how  he  should,  for  there  never  was  any  such  thing  done. 

Then  his  geography  of  the  country  is  most  absurd,  notwithstanding 
the  wonderful  care  he  pretends  to  have  of  the  maps,  and  his  expert 
knowledge  of  the  new  surveys,  (page  278)  making  almost  as  many 
i'aults  as  descriptions.  For  instance: 

Page  272,  Prince  George  county,  which  lies  all  on  the  southside  of 
James  river,  he  places  on  the  north,  and  says  that  part  of  James  City 
county,  and  four  of  the  parishes  of  it,  lie  on  the  southside  of  James  river ; 
whereas  not  one  inch  of  it  has  so  done  these  sixty  years. 

Page  273,  his  account  of  Williamsburg  is  most  romantic  and  untrue; 
and  so  is  his  account  of  the  college,  page  302,  303. 

Page  274,  he  makes  Elizabeth  and  Warwick  counties  to  lie  upon 
York  river;  whereas  both  of  them  lie  upon  James  river,  and  neither 
of  them  comes  near  York  river. 

Page  275,  he  places  King  William  county  above  New  Kent,  and  on 
both  sides  Pamunkey  river ;  whereas  it  lies  side  by  side  with  New 
Kent,  and  all  on  the  north  side  Pamunkey  river.  He  places  King  and 
Queen  county  upon  the  south  of  New  Kent,  at  the  head  of  Chick- 
ahominy  river,  which  he  says  rises  in  it;  whereas  that  county  lies 
north  of  New  Kent  from  head  to  foot,  and  two  large  rivers  and  two 
entire  counties  are  between  the  head  of  Chickahominy  and  King  & 
Q,ueen.  Essex,  Richmond  and  Stafford  counties,  are  as  much  wrong 
placed. 

He  says  that  York  and  Rappahannock  rivers  issue  out  of  low  marshes, 
and  not  from  the  mountains  as  the  other  rivers,  which  note  he  has 
taken  from  some  old  maps ;  but  is  a  false  account  from  my  own  view, 
for  I  was  with  our  present  governor  at  the  head  spring  of  both  those 
rivers,  and  their  fountains  are  in  the  highest  ridge  of  mountains. 

Page  276,  he  says  that  the  neck  of  land  between  Niccocomoco  river 
and  the  bay,  is  what  goes  by  the  name  of  the  northern  neck;  whereas 
it  is  not  above  the  twentieth  part  of  the  northern  neck,  for  that  con 
tains  all  that  track  of  land  which  is  between  Rappahannock  and  Po 
tomac  rivers, 


XX  PREFACE. 

How  unfaithful  and  frontless  must  such  an  historian  be,  who  can 
upon  guess  work  introduce  such  falsities  for  truth,  and  bottom  them 
upon  such  bold  assertions?  It  would  make  a  book  larger  than  his 
own  to  expose  his  errors,  for  even  the  most  general  offices  of  the 
government  he  misrecites. 

Page  298,  he  says  the  general  court  is  called  the  quarter  court,  and 
is  held  every  quarter  of  a  year;  whereas  it  never  was  held  but  three 
times  a  year,  tho'  it  was  called  a  quarter  court.  When  he  wrote,  it 
was  held  but  twice  a  year,  as  I  had  wrote  in  my  book,  and  has  not 
been  called  a  quarter  court  these  seventy -nine  years.  The  county  courts 
were  never  limited  in  their  jurisdiction  to  any  summons,  neither  was 
the  sheriff  ever  a  judge  in  them,  as  he  would  have  it,  but  always  a 
ministerial  officer  to  execute  their  process,  &c. 

The  account  that  I  have  given  in  the  following  sheets  is  plain  and 
true,  and  if  it  be  not  written  with  so  much  judgment,  or  in  so  good 
a  method  and  style  as  I  could  wish,  yet  in  the  truth  of  it  I  rest  fully 
satisfied.  In  this  edition  I  have  also  retrenched  such  particulars  as 
related  only  to  private  transactions,  and  characters  in  the  historical  part, 
as  being  too  diminutive  to  be  transmitted  to  posterity,  and  set  down 
the  succession  of  the  governors,  with  the  more  general  incidents  of 
their  government,  without  reflection  upon  the  private  conduct  of  any 
person. 


INTRODUCTION 


The  name  of  BEVERLEY  has  long  been  a  familiar  one  in  Vir 
ginia.  It  is  said  that,  the  family  may  be  traced  among  the  re 
cords  of  the  town  of  Beverley  in  England,  as  far  back  as  to 
the  time  of  King  John.  During  the  reign  of  Henry  VIII, 
one  of  the  Beverleys  was  appointed  by  the  Crown  a  commis 
sioner  for  enquiring  into  the  state  and  condition  of  the  north 
ern  monasteries.  The  family  received  some  grants  of  church 
property,  and  one  branch  of  them  settled  at  Shelby,  the  other 
at  Beverley,  in  Yorkshire.  In  the  time  of  Charles  I,  John 
Beverley  of  Beverley  adhered  to  the  cause  of  royalty,  and  at 
the  restoration  his  name  appears  in  the  list  of  those  upon 
whom  it  was  intended  to  confer  the  order  of  the  Royal  Oak. 
Robert  Beverley  of  Beverley,  the  representative  of  the  family, 
having  sold  his  possessions  in  that  town,  removed  with  a  con 
siderable  fortune  to  Virginia,  where  he  purchased  extensive 
tracts  of  land.  He  took  up  his  residence  in  the  county  of 
Middlesex.  Elected  clerk  of  the  House  of  Burgesses,  he  con 
tinued  to  hold  that  office  until  1676,  the  year  of  Bacon's  re 
bellion,  in  suppressing  which  he  rendered  important  services, 
and  by  his  loyal  gallantry  won  the  marked  favor  of  the  Go 
vernor,  Sir  William  Berkley.  In  1682  the  discontents  of  .Vir 
ginia  arose  again  almost  to  the  pitch  of  rebellion.  Two  ses 
sions  of  the  Assembly  having  been  spent  in  angry  and  fruitless 
disputes,  between  Lord  Culpepper,  the  Governor,  and  the  House 
of  Burgesses,  in  May  of  that  year,  the  malecontents  in  the 
counties  of  Gloucester,  New  Kent  and  Middlesex,  proceeded 
riotously  to  cut  up  the  tobacco  plants  in  the  beds,  especially 


£  INTRODUCTION. 

the  sweet-scented,  which  was  produced  nowhere  else.  Culpep- 
per,  the  Governor,  prevented  further  waste  by  patrols  of  horse. 
The  ringleaders  were  arrested,  and  some  of  them  hanged  upon 
a  charge  of  treason.  A  riot-act  was  also  passed,  making  plant- 
cutting  high  treason,  the  necessity  of  which  act  evinces  the 
illegality  of  the  execution  of  these  unfortunate  plant-cutters. 
The  vengeance  of  the  government  fell  heavily  upon  Major  Ro 
bert  Beverley,  clerk  of  the  House  of  Burgesses,  as  the  prin 
cipal  •  instigator  of  fnese  disturbances.  He  had  before  incurred 
the  displeasure  of  the  governor  and  council,  by  refusing  to 
deliver  up  to  them  copies  of  the  legislative  journal,  without 
permission  of  the  Assembly.  Thus  by  a  firm  adherence  to  his 
duty,  he  drew  down  upon  himself  an  unrelenting  persecution. 

In  May,  1682,  he  was  committed  a  prisoner  on  board  the 
ship,  the  Duke  of  York,  lying  in  the  Rappahannock  river. 
Ralph  Wormley,  Matthew  Kemp,  and  Christopher  Wormley, 
were  directed  to  "seize  the  records  in  Beverley's  possession, 
and  to  break  open  doors  if  necessary.  Beverley  was  after 
wards  transferred  from  the  Duke  of  York  to  the  ship  Con 
cord,  and  a  guard  was  set  over  him.  Contriving  however  to 
escape  from  the  custody  of  the  sheriff  at  York,  the  fugitive  was 
retaken  at  his  own  house  in  Middlesex  county,  and  transported 
over  to  the  county  of  Northampton,  on  the  Eastern  Shore. 
Some  months  afterwards  he  applied  by  his  attorney,  William 
Fitzhugh,  for  a  writ  of  habeas  corpus,  which  however  was  re 
fused.  In  a  short  time  being  again  found  at  large,  he  was 
again  arrested,  and  remanded  to  Northampton.  In  1683  new 
charges  were  brought  against  him :  1st.  That  he  had  broken 
open  letters  addressed  to  the  Secretary's  office ;  2d.  That  he 
had  made  up  the  journal,  and  inserted  his  Majesty's  letter 
therein,  notwithstanding  it  had  been  first  presented  at  the 
time  of  the  prorogation  ;  3d.  That  in  1682  he  had  refused  to 
deliver  copies  of  the  journal  to  the  governor  and  council, 
saying  "he  might  not  do  it  without  leave  of  his  masters." 

In  May,  1684,  Major  Robert  Beverley  was  found  guilty  of 
high  misdemeanors,  but  judgment  being  respited,  and  the 
prisoner  asking  pardon  on  his  bended  knees,  was  released 
upon  giving  security  for  his  good  behavior  in  the  penalty  of 
.£2,000.  The  abject  terms  in  which  he  now  sued  for  pardon, 


INTRODUCTION. 


3 


form  a  singular  contrast  to  the  constancy  of  his  former  re 
sistance,  and  the  once  gallant  and  loyal  Beverley,  the  stren 
uous  partizan  of  Berkley,  thus  became  the  victim  of  that 
tyranny  which  he  had  once  so  resolutely  defended.  He  had 
not  however  lost  the  esteem  of  his  countrymen,  for  in  1685  he 
was  again  elected  clerk  of  the  Assembly.  This  body  strenuously 
resisted  the  negative  power  claimed  by  the  governor,  and 
passed  resolutions  complaining  strongly  of  his  tyranny.  He 
negatived  them,  and  prorogued  the  Assembly.  James  II,  in 
dignant  at  these  democratical  proceedings,  ordered  their  disso 
lution,  and  attributing  these  disorders  mainly  to  Robert  Bever 
ly,  their  clerk,  commanded  that  he  should  be  incapable  of 
holding  any  office,  and  that  he  should  be  prosecuted,  and  that 
in  future  the  appointment  of  their  clerk  should  be  made  by 
the  governor. 

In  the  spring  of  1687  Robert  Beverley  died,  the  persecu 
ted  victim  of  an  oppressive  government.  Long  a  distinguished 
loyalist,  he  lived  to  become  a  sort  of  patriot  martyr.  It  is 
thus  that  in  the  circle  of  life  extremes  meet.  He  married 
Catherine  Hone  of  James  City,  and  their  children  were  four 
sons :  Peter,  William,  Harry,  and  Kobert,  (the  historian,)  and 
three  daughters,  who  married  respectively,  William  Randolph, 
eldest  son  of  William  Randolph  of  .Turkey  Island ;  Sir  John 
Randolph,  his  brother,  of  Williamsburg ;  and  John  Robinson. 
Peter  Beverley  was  appointed  clerk  of  the  Assembly  in  1691. 

In  the  preface  to  the  first  edition  of  his  History  of  Vir 
ginia,  published  at  London  1705,  Robert  Beverley  says  of 
himself:  "I  am  an  Indian,  and  don't  pretend  to  be  exact  in 
my  language."  This  intimation  may  perhaps  have  been  merely 
playful,  but  the  full  and  minute  account  that  he  has  given 
of  the  Indians,  shows  that  he  took  a  peculiar  interest  in  that 
race. 

In  the  preface  to  the  second  edition  of  his  history,  now 
republished,  he  remarks :  "  My  first  business  in  this  world  being 
among  the  public  records  of  my  country,  the  active  thoughts 
of  my  youth  put  me  upon  taking  notes  of  the  general  ad 
ministration  of  the  government."  He  was  probably  a  deputy 
in  his  father's  office,  and  perhaps  also  in  that  of  his  brother 
Peter  Beverley.  This  Peter  Beverley  was  in  1714  promoted 


4  INTRODUCTION. 

to  the  place  of  speaker  of  the  House  of  Burgesses,  and  he 
was  subsequently  treasurer  of  the  colony.  Robert  Beverley, 
the  historian,  was  born  in  Virginia,  and  educated  in  England. 
He  married  Ursula,  daughter  of  William  Byrd  of  "Westover, 
on  the  James  river.  She  lies  buried  at  Jamestown.  John 
Fontaine,  son  of  a  Huguenot  refugee,  having  come  over  from 
England  to  Virginia,  visited  Robert  Beverley,  the  author  of  this 
work,  in  the  year  1715,  at  his  residence,  near  the  head  of 
the  Mattapony.  Here  he  cultivated  several  varieties  of  the 
grape,  native  and  French,  in  a  vineyard  of  about  three  acres, 
situated  upon  the  side  of  a  hill,  from  which  he  made  in  that 
year  four  hundred  gallons  of  wine.  He  went  to  very  consider 
able  expense  in  this  enterprise,  having  constructed  vaults  of  a 
wine  press.  But  Fontaine  comparing  his  method  with  that  used 
in  Spain,  deemed  it  erroneous,  and  that  his  vineyard  was  not 
rightly  managed.  The  home-made  wine  Fontaine  drank  heartily 
of,  and  found  it  good,  but  he  was  satisfied  by  the  flavor  of  it 
that  Beverley  did  not  understand  how  to  make  it  properly. 
Beverley  lived  comfortably,  yet  although  wealthy,  had  nothing 
in  or  about  his  house  but  what  was  actually  necessary.  He 
had  good  beds,  but  no  curtains,  and  instead  of  cane  chairs 
used  wooden  stools.  He  lived  mainly  within  himself  upon  the 
products  of  his  land.  He  had  laid  a  sort  of  wager  with  some 
of  the  neighboring  planters,  he  giving  them  one  guinea  in 
hand,  and  they  promising  to  pay  him  each  ten  guineas,  if  in 
seven  years  he  should  cultivate  a  vineyard  that  would  yield 
at  one  vintage  seven  hundred  gallons  of  wine.  Beverley  there 
upon  paid  them  down  one  hundred  pounds,  and  Fontaine  en 
tertained  no  doubt  but  that  in  the  next  year  he  would  win 
the  thousand  guineas.  Beverley  owned  a  large  tract  of  land 
at  the  place  of  his  residence.  On  Sunday  Fontaine  accompanied 
him  to  his  parish  church,  seven  miles  distant,  where  they 
heard  a  good  sermon  from  the  Rev.  M.  De  Latane,  a  French 
man.  A  son  of  Beverley  accompanied  Fontaine  in  some  of 
his  excursions  in  that  neighborhood.  On  the  banks  of  the 
Rappahannock,  about  five  miles  below  the  falls,  ( Fredericks  - 
burg,)  Fontaine  came  upon  a  tract  of  three  thousand  acres  of 
land,  which  Beverley  offered  him  at  <£7  10s.  per  hundred  acres, 
and  Fontaine  would  have  purchased  it,  had  not  Beverley  some- 


INTRODUCTION.  n 

what  singularly  insisted  upon  making  a  title  for  nine  hundred 
and  ninety-nine  years,  instead  of  an  absolute  fee  simple. 

On  the  20th  of  August,  1716,  Alexander  Spots  wood,  Gover 
nor  of  Virginia,  accompanied  by  John  Fontaine,  started  from 
Williamsburg  on  his  expedition  over  the  Appalachian  mountains, 
as  they  were  then  called.  Having  crossed  the  York  river  at 
the  Brick  House,  they  lodged  that  night  at  Chelsea,  the  seat 
of  Austin  Moore,  on  the  Mattapony  river,  in  the  county  of  King 
William.  On  the  following  night  they  were  hospitably  enter 
tained  by  Robert  Beverley  at  his  residence.  The  governor  left 
his  chaise  there,  and  mounted  his  horse  for  the  rest  of  the 
journey.  Beverley  accompanied  Spotswood  in  this  exploration. 
On  the  26th  of  August  Spotswood  was  joined  by  several  gen 
tlemen,  two  small  companies  of  rangers,  and  four  Meherrin  In 
dians.  The  gentlemen  of  the  party  appear  to  have  been  Spots- 
wood,  Fontaine,  Beverley,  Austin  Smith,  Todd,  Dr.  Robinson, 
Taylor,  Mason,  Brooke,  and  Captains  Clouder  and  Smith.  The 
whole  number  of  the  party,  including  gentlemen,  rangers,  pion 
eers,  Indians  and  servants,  was  probably  about  fifty.  They 
had  with  them  a  large  number  of  riding  and  pack-horses,  an 
abundant  supply  of  provisions,  and  an  extraordinary  variety  of 
liquors. 

The  camps  were  named  respectively  after  the  gentlemen  of 
the  expedition,  and  the  first  one  being  that  of  the  29th  of 
August,  was  named  in  honor  of  our  historian,  Robert  Bever 
ley.  Here  "  they  made,"  as  Fontaine  records  in  his  diary, 
"  great  fires,  supped  and  drank  good  punch."  In  the  preface 
to  this  edition  of  the  work,  (1722,)  Beverley  says  in  reference 
to  this  Tramontane  expedition,  "  I  was  with  the  present  Go 
vernor  (Spotswood)  at  the  head  spring  of  both  those  rivers, 
(the  York  and  the  Rappahannock,)  and  their  fountains  are 
in  the  highest  range  of  mountains."  Thus  it  appears  that  the 
historian  was  one  of  the  celebrated  knights  of  the  golden  horse 
shoe. 

An  Abridgement  of  the  Laws  of  Virginia,  published  at  Lon 
don  in  1722  is  ascribed  to  Robert  Beverley.  Filial  indignation 
will  naturally  account  for  the  acrimony  which  in  his  history 
he  exhibits  towards  Lord  Culpepper  and  Lord  Howard  of  Ef- 
fingham,  who  had  so  persecuted  his  father,  the  clerk  of  the 


INTRODUCTION. 

Assembly,  and  against  Nicholson,  who  was  Effingham's  deputy. 
In  his  second  edition,  when  time  had  mitigated  his  animosities, 
Beverley  omitted  some  of  his  accusations  against  those  governors. 

The  first  edition  of  Beverley's  History  of  Virginia  appeared 
at  London  in  1705.  It  was  republished  in  French  at  Paris  in 
1707,  and  in  the  same  year  an  edition  was  issued  at  Amster 
dam.  The  second  English  edition  was  published  in  1722  at 
London.  The  work  is  dedicated  to  the  Right  Honorable  Ro 
bert  Harley,  so  celebrated  both  as  a  statesman  and  as  the 
patron  of  letters. 

In  the  title  page  appear  only  the  initials  of  the  author's 
name,  thus :  "  R.  B.  Gent.,"  whence  the  blundering  historian, 
Oldmixon,  supposed  his  name  to  be  "  Bullock,"  and  in  some 
German  catalogues  he  received  the  appellation  of  "  Bird." 
Warden,  an  American  writer,  has  repeated  this  last  misnomer. 
Beverley's  work  is  divided  into  four  parts,  styled  Books,  and 
the  fourth  book  is  again  divided  into  two  parts. 

Of  the  history,  Mr.  Jefferson  in  his  "  Notes  on  Virginia"  has 
remarked,  that  it  is  "  as  concise  and  unsatisfactory  as  Stith  is 
prolix  and  tedious."  This  criticism,  however,  is  only  applicable 
to  Beverley's  first  book,  which  includes  the  civil  history  of  the 
colony  5  the  other  three  books  on  "  the  present  state  of  Virginia" 
being  sufficiently  full  and  satisfactory.  Brief  as  is  the  summary 
of  history  comprised  in  book  first,  it  was  probably  quite  ample 
enough  for  the  taste  of  the  readers  of  Beverley's  day.  His 
style  of  writing  is  easy,  unsophisticated  and  pleasing,  his  sim 
plicity  of  remark  sometimes  amusing,  and  the  whole  work  breathes 
an  earnest,  downright,  hearty,  old-fashioned  Virginia  spirit. 
His  account  of  the  internal  affairs  of  the  colony  is  faithful, 
and  in  the  main  correct,  but  in  regard  to  events  occurring 
beyond  the  precincts  of  Virginia,  he  is  less  reliable.  The  se 
cond  book  treats  of  the  boundary  of  Virginia,  waters,  earth  and 
soil,  natural  products,  fish,  wild  fowl  and  hunted  game.  Book 
third  gives  a  full  and  minute  description  of  the  manners  and 
customs  of  the  Indians,  illustrated  by  Gribelin's  engravings. 
The  contents  are  the  persons  and  dress  of  the  Indians,  mar 
riage  and  management  of  children,  towns,  buildings  and  fortifi 
cations,  cookery  and  food,  travelling,  reception  and  entertain 
ments,  language,  war  and  peace,  religion,  diseases  and  remedies, 


INTRODUCTION.  I 

sports  and  pastimes,  laws  and  government",  money,  goods  and 
handicrafts.  The  fourth  book  relates  to  the  government  of  the 
colony,  its  sub-divisions,  public  offices,  revenues,  taxes,  courts, 
the  church,  the  college  of  William  and  Mary,  militia,  servants 
and  slaves,  poor  laws,  free  schools,  tenure  and  conveyance  of 
lands,  naturalization  and  currency,  the  people,  buildings,  eatables, 
drinkables  and  fuel,  climate,  diseases,  recreations,  natural  produc 
tions,  and  the  advantages  of  improved  husbandry.  The  closing 
paragraph  is  as  follows :  "  Thus  they  depend  upon  the  libe 
rality  of  Nature,  without  endeavoring  to  improve  its  gifts  by 
art  or  industry.  They  sponge  upon  the  blessings  of  a  warm 
sun  and  a  fruitful  soil,  and  almost  grudge  the  pains  of 
gathering  in  the  bounties  of  the  earth.  I  should  be  ashamed 
to  publish  this  slothful  indolence  of  my  countrymen,  but  that 
I  hope  it  will  rouse  them  out  of  their  lethargy,  and  excite 
them  to  make  the  most  of  all  those  happy  advantages  which 
Nature  has  given  them,  and  if  it  does  this,  I  am  sure  they 
will  have  the  goodness  to  forgive  me."  Happily,  at  the  pre 
sent  day,  Virginia  has  been  aroused  from  her  lethargy,  and 
with  energetic  efforts  is  developing  her  rich  resources.  It  may 
be  hoped  that  with  these  material  improvements  a  wider  inte 
rest  in  the  history  of  the  past  may  be  diffused. 
Petersburg,  May  30M,  1854. 


J    tA<  ''•'TV         /    t^^O/a   ^      /u,      \.yx> 
S.,r^      f'"'n.'ft-'\4>  ^<,v^'u,  r;>^  ••>  „ 


HISTORY  OF  VIRGINIA, 


BOOK  1. 


CHAPTEE    [. 


SHEWING  WHAT  HAPPENED  IN  THE  FIRST  ATTEMPTS  TO 
SETTLE  VIRGINIA,  BEFORE  THE  DISCOVERY  OF  CHESA 
PEAKE  BAY. 

The  learned  #nd  valiant  Sir  Walter  Raleigh,  having  en 
tertained  some  deeper  and  more  serious  considerations  upon 
the  state  of  the  earth  than  most  other  men  of  his  time,  as 
may  sufficiently  appear  by  his  incomparable  book,  the  History 
of  the  World,  and  having  laid  together  the  many  stories  then 
in  Europe  concerning  America,  the  native  beauty,  riches,  and 
value  of  that  part  of  the  world,  and  the  immense  profits  the 
Spaniards  drew  from  a  small  settlement  or  two  thereon  made, 
resolved  upon  an  adventure  for  farther  discoveries. 

According  to  this  purpose,  in  the  year  of  our  Lord  1583, 
he  got  several  men  of  great  value  and  estate  to  join  in  an 
expedition  of  this  nature,  and  for  their  encouragement  obtained 
letters  patents  from  Q,ueen  Elizabeth,  bearing  date  the  25th 
of  March,  1584,  for  turning  their  discoveries  to  their  own 
advantage. 


FIRST    ATTEMPTS     TO    SETTLE.  9 

§  2.  In  April  following  they  set  out  two  small  vessels  under 
the  command  of  Capt.  Philip  Amidas  and  Capt.  Arthur  Bar- 
low,  who  after  a  prosperous  voyage,  anchored  at  the  inlet 
by  Roanoke,  at  present  under  the  government  of  North  Car 
olina.  They  made  good  profit  of  the  Indian  truck,  which 
they  bought  for  things  of  much  inferior  value,  and  return 
ed.  Being  overpleased  with  their  profits,  and  finding  all 
things  there  entirely  new  and  surprising,  they  gave  a  very 
advantageous  account  of  matters,  by  representing  the  country 
so  delightful  and  desirable,  so  pleasant  and  plentiful  ;  the 
climate  and  air  so  temperate,  sweet,  and  wholesome  ;  the 
woods  and  soil  so  charming  and  fruitful ;  and  all  other  things 
so  agreeable,  that  paradise  itself  seemed  to  be  there  in  its 
first  native  lustre. 

They  gave  particular  accounts  of  the  variety  of  good  fruits, 
and  some  whereof  they  had  never  seen  the  like  before ;  espe 
cially,  that  there  were  grapes  in  such  abundance  as  was 
never  known  in  the  world.  Stately  tall  large  oaks,  and 
other  timber ;  red  cedar,  cypress,  pines,  and  other  ever 
greens  and  sweet  woods,  for  tallness  and  largeness,  exceed 
ing  all  they  had  ever  heard  of;  wild  fowl,  fish,  deer,  and 
other  game  in  such  plenty  and  variety,  that  no  epicure 
could  desire  more  than  this  new  world  did  seem  naturally 
to  afford. 

And  to  make  it  yet  more  desirable,  they  reported  the 
native  Indians  (which  were  then  the  only  inhabitants)  so 
affable,  kind,  and  good-natured  ;  so  uncultivated  in  learn 
ing,  trades,  and  fashions ;  so  innocent  and  ignorant  of  all 
manner  of  politics,  tricks,  and  cunning ;  and  so  desirous 
of  the  company  of  the  English,  that  they  seemed  rather 
to  be  like  soft  wax,  ready  to  take  an  impression,  than  any 
ways  likely  to  oppose  the  settling  of  the  English  near  them. 
They  represented  it  as  a  scene  laid  open  for  the  good  and 
gracious  Q,ueen  Elizabeth  to  propagate  the  gospel  in  and 
extend  her  dominions  over ;  as  if  purposely  reserved  for 
her  majesty  by  a  peculiar  direction  of  providence,  that  had 
brought  all  former  adventures  in  this  affair  to  nothing ;  and 
to  give  a  further  taste  of  their  discovery,  they  took  with 
2 


10  FIRST   ATTEMPTS     TO    SETTLE. 

them  in  their  return  for  England,  two  men  of  the  native 
Indians,  named  Wanchese  and  Manteo. 

§  3.  Her  majesty  accordingly  took  the  hint,  and  espoused 
1_J  the  project  as  far  as  her  present  engagements  in  war  with 
Spain  would  let  her ;  being  so  well  pleased  with  the  ac- 
/  count  given,  that  as  the  greatest  mark  of  honor  she  could 
do  the  discoverer,  she  called  the  country  by  the  name  of 
Virginia,  as  well  for  that  it  was  first  discovered  in  her 
reign,  a  virgin  queen,  as  it  did  still  seem  to  retain  the 
virgin  purity  and  plenty  of  the  first  creation,  and  the  peo 
ple  their  primitive  innocence  ;  for  they  seemed  not  debauch 
ed  nor  corrupted  with  those  pomps  and  vanities  which  had 
depraved  and  enslaved  the  rest  of  mankind  ;  neither  were 
their  hands  hardened  by  labor,  nor  their  minds  corrupted 
by  the  desire  of  hoarding  up  treasure.  They  were  with 
out  boundaries  to  their  land,  without  property  in  cattle, 
and  seem  to  have  escaped,  or  rather  not  to  have  been 
concerned  in  the  first  curse,  of  getting  their  bread  by 
the  sweat  of  their  brows,  for  by  their  pleasure  alone  they 
supplied  all  their  necessities,  namely,  by  fishing,  fowling, 
and  hunting ;  skins  l?eing  tneir  only  clothing,  and  these, 
too,  five-sixths  of  the  year  thrown  by;  living  without  labor, 
and  only  gathering  the  fruits  of  the  earth  when  ripe  or 
fit  for  use  ;  neither  fearing  present  want,  nor  solicitous  for 
the  future,  but  daily  finding  sufficient  afresh  for  their  sub 
sistence. 

§  4,  This  report  was  backed,  nay,  much  advanced  by  the 
vast  riches  and  treasure  mentioned  in  several  merchants' 
letters  from  Mexico  and  .  Peru,  to  their  correspondents  in 
Spain,  which  letters  were  taken  with  their  ships  and  treas 
ure,  by  some  of  ours  in  her  majesty's  service,  in  prosecu 
tion  of  the  Spanish  wars.  This  was  encouragement  enough 
for  a  new  adventure,  and  set  people's  invention  at  work 
till  they  had  satisfied  themselves,  and  made  sufficient  essays 
for  the  farther  discovery  of  the  country.  Pursuant  where- 
unto,  Sir  Richard  Greenvile,  the  chief  of  Sir  Walter  Ra 
leigh's  associates,  having  obtained  seven  sail  of  ships,  well 
laden  with  provision,  arms,  ammunition,  and  spare  men  to 


FIRST    ATTEMPTS     TO    SETTLE.  11 

make  a  settlement,  set  out  in  person  with  them  early  in 
the  spring  of  the  succeeding  year  to  make  farther  discove 
ries,  taking  back  the  two  Indians  with  him,  and  accord 
ing  to  his  wish,  in  the  latter  end  of  May,  arrived  at  the 
same  place  where  the  English  had  been  the  year  before ; 
there  he  mnde  a  settlement,  sowed  beans  and  peas,  which 
he  saw  come  up  and  grow  to  admiration  while  he  staid, 
which  was  about  two  months,  and  having  made  some  little 
discoveries  more  in  the  sound  to  the  southward,  and  got 
some  treasure  in  skins,  furs,  pearl,  and  other  rarities  in  the 
country,  for  things  of  inconsiderable  value,  he  returned  for 
England,  leaving  one  hundred  and  eight  men  upon  Roan- 
oke  island,  under  the  command  of  Mr.  Ralph  Lane,  to 
keep  possession. 

§  5.  As  soon  as  Sir  Richard  Greenvile  was  gone,  they, 
according  to  order  and  their  own  inclination,  set  themselves 
earnestly  about  discovering  the  country,  and  ranged  about  a 
little  too  indiscreetly  up  the  rivers,  and  into  the  land  backward 
from  the  rivers,  which  gave  the  Indians  a  jealousy  of  their 
meaning  ;  for  they  cut  off  several  stragglers  of  them,  and  had 
laid  designs  to  destroy  the  rest,  but  were  happily  prevented. 
This  put  the  English  upon  the  precaution  of  keeping  more 
within  bounds,  and  not  venturing  themselves  too  defenceless 
abroad,  who  till  then  had  depended  too  much  upon  the  na 
tives  simplicity  and  innocence. 

After  the  Indians  had  done  this  mischief,  they  never  ob 
served  any  real  faith  towards  those  English  ;  for  being  na 
turally  suspicious  and  revengeful  themselves,  they  never 
thought  the  English  could  forgive  them  ;  and  so  by  this  jea 
lousy,  caused  by  the  cowardice  of  their  nature,  they  were 
continually  doing  mischief. 

The  English,  notwithstanding  all  this,  continued  their  dis 
coveries,  but  more  carefully  than  they  had  done  before,  and 
kept  the  Indians  in  some  awe,  by  threatening  them  with  ths 
return  of  their  companions  again  with  a  greater  supply  of 
men  and  goods  ;  and  before  the  cold  of  the  winter  became 
uneasy,  they  had  extended  their  discoveries  near  an  hundred 
miles  along  the  seacoast  to  the  northward  ;  but  not  reaching 


12  FIRST    ATTEMPTS     TO    SETTLE. 

the  southern    cape  of   Cheaspeake  bay  in   Virginia,  they   had 
as  yet  found  no  good  harbor. 

§  6.  In  this  condition  they  maintained  their  settlement  all 
ihe  winter,  and  till  August  following  ;  but  were  much  dis 
tressed  for  want  of  provisions,  not  having  learned  to  gather 
food,  as  the  Indians  did,  nor  having  conveniences  like  them  of 
taking  fish  and  fowl ;  besides,  being  now  fallen  out  with  the 
Indians,  they  feared  to  expose  themselves  to  their  contempt 
and  cruelty  ;  because  they  had  not  received  the  supply  they 
talked  of,  and  which  had  been  expected  in  the  spring. 

All  they  could  do  under  these  distresses,  and  the  despair  of 
the  recruits  promised  them  this  year,  was  only  to  keep  a  good 
looking  out  to  seaward,  if,  perchance,  they  might  find  any 
means  of  escape,  or  recruit.  And  to  their  great  joy  and  satis 
faction  in  August  aforesaid,  they  happened  to  espy  and  make 
themselves  be  seen  to  Sir  Francis  Drake's  fleet,  consisting  of 
twenty-three  sail,  who  being  sent  by  her  majesty  upon  the 
coast  of  America,  in  search  of  the  Spanish  treasures,  had 
orders  from  her  majesty  to  take  a  view  of  this  plantation, 
and  see  what  assistance  and  encouragement  it  wanted  :  Their 
first  petition  to  him  was  to  grant  them  a  fresh  supply  of 
men  and  provisions,  with  a  small  vessel,  and  boats  to  attend 
them  ;  that  so  if  they  should  be  put  to  distress  for  want  of 
relief,  they  might  embark  for  England.  This  was  as  rea 
dily  granted  by  Sir  Francis  Drake,  as  asked  by  them  ;  and 
a  ship  was  appointed  them,  which  ship  they  began  imme 
diately  to  fit  up,  and  supply  plentifully  with  all  manner  of 
stores  for  a  long  stay  ;  but  while  they  wreie  adoing  this,  a 
great  storm  arose,  and  drove  that  very  ship  (with  some  others) 
from  her  anchor  to  sea,  and  so  she  was  lost  for  that  occasion. 

Sir  Francis  would  have  given  them  another  ship,  but  this 
accident  coming  on  the  back  of  so  many  hardships  which 
they  had  undergone,  daunted  them,  and  put  them  upon  im 
agining  that  Providence  was  averse  to  their  designs  •  and  now 
having  given  over  for  that  year  the  expectation  of  their 
promised  supply  from  England,  they  consulted  together,  and 
agreed  to  desire  Sir  Francis  Drake  to  take  them  along  with 
him,  which  he  did. 


FIRST    ATTEMPTS     TO    SETTLE.  13 

Thus  their  first  intention  of  settlement  fell,  after  discovering 
many  things  of  the  natural  growth  of  the  country,  useful  for 
the  life  of  man,  and  beneficial  to  trade,  they  having  observed 
a  vast  variety  of  fish,  fowl  and  beasts  ;  fruits,  seeds,  plants, 
roots,  timber-trees,  sweet-woods  and  gums  :  They  had  like 
wise  attained  some  little  knowledge  in  the  language  of  the 
Indians,  their  religion,  manners,  and  ways  of  correspond 
ence  one  with  another,  and  been  made  sensible  of  their  cun 
ning  and  treachery  towards  themselves. 

§  7.  While  these  things  were  thus  acting  in  America,  the 
adventurers  in  England  were  providing,  though  too  tediously, 
to  send  them  recruits.  And  though  it  was  late  before  they 
could  dispatch  them  (for  they  met  with  several  disappoint 
ments,  and  had  many  squabbles  among  themselves) ;  how 
ever,  at  last  they  provided  four  good  ships,  with  all  manner 
of  recruits  suitable  for  the  colony,  and  Sir  Walter  Raleigh 
designed  to  go  in  person  with  them. 

Sir  Walter  got  his  ship  ready  first,  and  fearing  the  ill  con 
sequence  of  a  delay,  arid  the  discouragement  it  might  be  to 
those  that  were  left  to  make  a  settlement,  he  set  sail  by 
himself.  And  a  fortnight  after  him  Sir  Richard  Greenvile 
sailed  with  the  three  other  ships. 

Sir    Walter    fell     in    with    the    land    at    Cape    Hatteras, 

f  /         *  * 

a    little    to    the    southward    of    the    place^   where    the    one^ 
hundred  and  eight    men   had  been  settled,  and   after  search 
not  finding  them,  he  returned  :    However  Sir   Richard,  witli-^ 
his  ships,  found  the  place  where   he  had  left  the  men,  but 
entirely  deserted,  which  was  at  first  a  great  disheartening  to  v 
him,  thinking  them  all  destroyed,  because  he  knew  not  that^v, 
Sir  Francis  Drake  had  been  there  and  taken  them  off :  but  he 

7  r.  twM 

was  a  little  better  satisfied  by  Manteo's  report,  that  they  were    .  ( 
not  cut  off  by  the  Indians,  though  he  could  give   no   good 
account    what    was    become    of    them.      However,   notwith-.,: 
standing  this  seeming  discouragement,  he  again  left  fifty  men^  .; 
in    the    same    island    of    Roanoke,    built    them    houses   ne 
cessary,   gave   them   two    years    provision,  and  returned. 

§  8.  The  next  summer,  being  Anno  1587,  three  ships 
more  were  sent,  under  the  command  of  Mr.  John  White, 

^W^  4  «w.  U'vtvo**'  H^U^  ,?»•-•••        rw.v> 

.W-'o,      f,  ,>.    0^-S**:    J   AVxi-.   -       fk<      CW-! 


14  FIRST    ATTEMPTS     TO    SETTLE. 

who  himself  was  to  settle  there  as  governor  with  more  men, 
and  some  women,  carrying  also  plentiful  recruits  of  pro 
visions. 

In  the  latter  end  of  July  they  arrived  at  Roanoke  afore 
said,  where  they  again  encountered  the  uncomfortable  news 
of  the  loss  of  these  men  also ;  who  (as  they  were  in 
formed  by  Manteo)  were  secretly  set  upon  by  the  Indians, 
some  cut  off,  and  the  others  fled,  and  not  to  be  heard  of, 
and  their  place  of  habitation  now  all  grown  up  with  weeds. 
However,  they  repaired  the  houses  on  Roanoke,  and  sat 
down  there  again. 

The  13th  of  August  they  christened  Manteo,  and  styled 
him  Lord  of  Dassamonpeak,  an  Indian  nation  so  called,  in 
reward  of  the  fidelity  he  had  shewn  to  the  English  from 
the  beginning,  who  being  the  first  Indian  that  was  made 
a  Christian  in  that  part  of  the  world,  I  thought  it  not  amiss 
to  remember  him. 

On  the  same  occasion  also  may  be  mentioned  the  first 
child  there  bora  of  Christian  parentage,  viz:  a  daughter  of 
Mr.  Ananias  Dare.  She  was  born  the  18th  of  the  same 
August,  upon  Roanoke,  and,  after  the  name  of  the  country, 
was  christened  Virginia. 

This  seemed  to  be  a  settlement  prosperously  made,  being 
carried  on  with  much  zeal  and  unanimity  among  them 
selves.  The  form  of  government  consisted  of  a  governor 
and  twelve  counselors,  incorporated  by  the  name  of  gover 
nor  and  assistants,  of  the  city  of  Raleigh,  in  Virginia. 

Many  nations  of  the  Indians  renewed  their  peace,  and 
made  firm  leagues  with  the  corporation.  The  chief  men 
of  the  English  also  were  so  far  from  being  disheartened  at 
the  former  disappointments,  that  they  disputed  for  the  liberty 
of  remaining  on  the  spot;  and  by  mere  constraint  compel 
led  Mr.  White,  their  governor,  to  return  for  England  to 
negotiate  the  business  of  their  recruits  and  supply,  as  a 
man  the  most  capable  to  manage  that  affair,  leaving  at  his 
departure  one  hundred  and  fifteen  in  the  corporation. 

§  9.  It  was  above  two  years  before  Mr.  White  could 
obtain  any  grant  of  supplies,  and  then  in  the  latter  end  of 


FIRST    ATTEMPTS     TO    SETTLE.  15 

the  year  1589,  lie  set  out  from  Plymouth  with  three 
ships,  and  sailed  round  by  the  Western  and  Caribbee 
islands,  they  having  hitherto  not  found  any  nearer  way  : 
for  though  they  were  skilled  in  navigation,  and  understood 
the  use  of  the  globes,  yet  did  example  so  much  prevail 
upon  them,  that  they  chose  to  sail  a  thousand  leagues 
about,  rather  than  attempt  a  more  direct  passage. 

Towards  the  middle  of  August,  1590,  they  arrived  upon 
the  coast,  at  Cape  Hatteras,  and  went  to  search  upon  Roan- 
oke  for  the  people  ;  •  but  found,  jpy  letters  on  the  trees, 
that  they  were  removed  to  Croatan,  one  of  the  islands 
forming  the  sound,  and  southward  of  Roanoke  about  twenty 
leagues,  but  no  sign  of  distress.  Thither  they  designed  to 
sail  to  them  in  their  ships  ;  but  a  storm  arising  in  the 
meanwhile,  lay  so  hard  upon  them  that  their  cables  broke  ; 
they  lost  three  of  their  anchors,  were  forced  to  sea,  and 
so  returned  home,  without  ever  going  near  those  poor  peo 
ple  again  for  sixteen  years  following.  And  it  is  supposed 
that  the  Indians,  seeing  them  forsaken  by  their  country,  and 
unfurnished  of  their  expected  supplies,  cut  them  off,  for 
to  this  day  they  were  never  more  heard  of. 

Thus,  after  all  this  vast  expense  and  trouble,  and  the 
hazard  and  loss  of  so  many  lives,  Sir  Walter  Raleigh,  the 
great  projector  and  furtherer  of  these  discoveries  and  settle 
ments,  being  under  trouble,  all  thoughts  of  farther  prosecu 
ting  these  designs  lay  dead  for  about  twelve  years  follow 
ing. 

§  10.  And  then,  in  the  year  1602,  Captain  Gosnell,  who 
had  made  one  in  the  former  adventures,  furnished  out  a 
small  bark  from  Dartmouth,  and  set  sail  in  her  himself  with 
thirty  odd  men,  designing  a  more  direct  course,  and  not 
to  stand  so  far  to  the  southward,  nor  pass  by  the  Caribbee 
Islands,  as  all  former  adventurers  had  done.  He  attained 
his  ends  in  that,  but  touched  upon  the  coast  of  Amer 
ica,  much  to  the  northward  of  any  of  the  places  where 
the  former  adventurers  had  landed,  for  he  fell  first  among 
the  islands  forming  the  northern  side  of  Massachusetts  bay 
in  New  England  ;  but  not  finding  the  conveniences  that 


16  '  FIRST    ATTEMPTS    TO    SETTLE. 

harbor  affords,  set  sail  again  southward,  and,  as  he 
thought,  clear  of  land  into  the  sea>  but  fell  upon  the  Byte 
of  Cape  Cod. 

Upon  this  coast,  and  a  little  to  the  southward,  he  spent 
some  time  in  trade  with  the  Indians,  and  gave  names  to 
the  islands  of  Martha's  Vineyard  and  Elizabeth's  Isle, 
which  retain  the  same  to  this  day.  Upon  Elizabeth's  Isle 
he  made  an  experiment  of  English  grain,  and  found  it 
spring  up  and  grow  to  admiration  as  it  had  done  at  Roan- 
oke.  Here  also  his  men,  built  huts  to  shelter  them  in  the 
night  and  bad  weather,  and  made  good  profit  by  their  In 
dian  traffic  of  furs,  skins,  &c.  And  as  their  pleasure  in 
vited  them,  would  visit  the  main,  set  receivers,  and  save 
the  gums  and  juices  distilling  from  sweet  woods,  and  try 
and  examine  the  lesser  vegetables. 

After  a  month's  stay  here,  they  returned  for  England,  as 
well  pleased  with  the  natural  beauty  and  richness  of  the 
place  they  had  viewed,  as  they  were  with  the  treasure  they 
had  gathered  in  it:  neither  had  they  a  head,  nor  a  finger 
that  ached  among  them  all  the  time. 

§  11.  The  noise  of  this  short  and  most  profitable  of  all 
the  former  voyages,  set  the  Bristol  merchants  to  work  also  ; 
who,  early  in  the  year  1603,  sent  two  vessels  in  search  of 
the  same  place  and  trade — which  vessels  fell  luckily  in 
wiih  the  same  land.  They  followed  the  same  methods 
Captain  Gosnell  had  done,  and  having  got  a  rich  lading 
they  returned. 

§  12.  In  the  year  1605,  a  voyage  was  made  from  Lon 
don  in  a  single  ship,  with  which  they  designed  to  fall  in 
with  the  land  about  the  latitude  39°,  but  the  winds  put  her 
a  little  farther  northward,  and  she  fell  upon  the  eastern 
parts  of  Long  Island,  (as  it  is  now  called,  but  all'  went 
then  under  the  name  of  Virginia.)  Here  they  trafficked 
with  the  Indians,  as  the  others  had  done  before  them  ; 
made  short  trials  of  the  soil  by  English  grain,  and  found 
the  Indians,  as  in  all  other  places,  very  fair  and  courteous 
at  first,  till  they  got  more  knowledge  of  the  English,  and 
perhaps  thought  themselves  overreached  because  one  bought 
better  pennyworths  than  another,  upon  which,  afterwards. 


FIRST    ATTEMPTS     TO    SETTLE.  17 

they  never  failed  to  take  revenge  as  they  found  their  oppor 
tunity  or  advantage.  So  this  company  also  returned  with 
the  ship,  having  ranged  forty  miles  up  Connecticut  river, 
and  called  the  harbor  where  they  rid  Penticost  harbor,  be 
cause  of  their  arrival  there  on  Whitsunday. 

In  all  these  latter  voyages,  they  never  so  much  as 'en 
deavored  to  come  near  the  place  where  the  first  settlement 
was  attempted  at  Cape  Hatteras  ;  neither  had  they  any  pity 
on  those  poor  hundred  and  fifteen  souls  settled  there  in 
1587,  of  whom  theie  had  never  since  been  any  account, 
no  relief  sent  to  them,  nor  so  much  as  any  enquiry 
made  after  them,  whether  they  were  dead  or  alive,  till 
about  three  years  after  this,  when  Chesapeake  bay  in  Vir 
ginia  was  settled,  which  hitherto  had  never  been  seen  by 
any  Englishman.  So  strong  was  the  desire  of  riches,  and 
so  eager  the  pursuit  of  a  rich  trade,  that  all  concern  for  the 
lives  of  their  fellow-christians,  kindred,  neighbors  and 
countrymen,  weighed  nothing  in  the  comparison,  though  an 
enquiry  might  have  been  easily  made  when  they  were  so 
near  them . 


CHAPTEE    II. 


CONTAINING  AN  ACCOUNT  OF  THE  FIRST  SETTLEMENT  OF 
CHESAPEAKE  BAY,  IN  VIRGINIA,  BY  THE  CORPORATION 
OF  LONDON  ADVENTURERS,  AND  THEIR  PROCEEDINGS 
DURING  THEIR  GOVERNMENT  BY  A  PRESIDENT  AND 
COUNCIL  ELECTIVE. 

§  13.  The  merchants  of  London,  Bristol,  Exeter,  and 
Plymouth  soon  perceived  what  great  gains  might  be  made 
;']  of  a  trade  this  way,  if  it  were  well  managed  and  colonies 
could  be  rightly  settled,  which  was  sufficiently  evinced  by 
the  great  profits  some  ships  had  made,  which  had  not  met 
with  ill  accidents.  Encouraged  by  this  prospect,  they  joined 
together  in  a  petition  to  King  James  the  First,  shewing 
forth  that  it  would  be  too  much  for  any  single  person 
to  attempt  the  settling  of  colonies,  and  to  carry  on  so 
considerable  a  trade;  they  therefore  prayed  his  majesty  to 
incorporate  them,  and  enable  them  to  raise  a  joint  stock  for 
that  purpose,  and  to  countenance  their  undertaking. 

His  majesty  did  accordingly  grant  their  petition,  and  by 
letters  patents,  bearing  date  the  10th  of  April,  1606,  did 
in  one  patent  incorporate  them  into  two  distinct  colonies, 
to  make  two  separate  companies,  viz :  "  Sir  Thomas  Gates, 
Sir  George  Summers,  knights ;  Mr.  Richard  Hackluit,  clerk, 
prebend  of  Westminster,  and  Edward  Maria  Wingfield,  esq., 
adventurers  of  the  city  of  London,  and  such  others  as 
should  be  joined  unto  them  of  that  colony,  which  should 
be  called  the  first  colony,  with  liberty  to  begin  their  first 
plantation  and  seat,  at  any  place  upon  the  coast  of  Vir- 


CAPT.    JOHN   SMITH.  19 

ginia  where  they  should  think  fit  and  convenient,  between 
the  degrees  of  thirty-four  and  forty-one  of  northern  latitude. 
And  that  they  should  extend  their  bounds  from  the  said 
first  seat  of  their  plantation  and  habitation  fifty  English 
miles  along  the  seacoast  each  way,  and  include  all  the 
lands  within  an  hundred  miles  directly  over  against  the 
same  seacoast,  and  also  back  into  the  main  land  one  hun 
dred  miles  from  the  seacoast ;  and  that  no  other  should 
be  permitted  or  suffered  to  plant  or  inhabit  behind  or  on 
the  back  of  them  towards  the  main  land,  without  the 
express  license  of  the  council  of  that  colony,  thereunto  in 
writing  first  had  and  obtained.  And  for  the  second  colony, 
Thomas  Hanham,  Rawleigh  Gilbert,  William  Parker,  and 
George  Popham,  esquires,  of  the  town  of  Plymouth,  and 
all  others  who  should  be  joined  to  them  of  that  colony, 
with  liberty  to  begin  their  first  plantation  and  seat  at  any 
place  upon  the  coast  of  Virginia  where  they  should  think 
fit,  between  the  degrees  of  thirty-eight  and  forty  five  of 
northern  latitude,  with  the  like  liberties  and  bounds  as  the 
first  colony ;  provided  they  did  not  seat  within  an  hundred 
miles  of  them." 

§  14.  By  virtue  of  this  patent,  Capt.  John  Smith  was 
sent  by  the  London  company,  in  December,  1606,  on  his 
voyage  with  three  small  ships,  and  a  commission  was  given 
to  him,  and  to  several  other  gentlemen,  to  establish  a  colo 
ny,  and  to  govern  by  a  president,  to  be  chosen  annually, 
and  council,  who  should  be  invested  with  sufficient  authori 
ties  and  powers.  And  now  all  things  seemed  to  promise 
a  plantation  in  good  earnest.  Providence  seemed  likewise 
very  favorable  to  them,  for  though  they  designed  only  for 
that  part  of  Viiginia  where  the  hundred  and  fifteen  were 
left,  and  where  there  is  no  security  of  harbor,  yet,  after 
a  tedious  voyage  of  passing  the  old  way  again,  between 
the  Caribbee  islands  and  the  main,  he,  with  two  of  his 
vessels,  luckily  fell  in  with  Virginia  itself,  that  part  of  the 
continent  now  so  called,  anchoring  in  the  mouth  of  the 
bay  of  Chesapeake ;  and  the  first  place  they  landed  upon 
waa  the  southern  cape  of  that  bay  ;  this  they  named  Cape 


20  SETTLEMENT  OP  JAMESTOWN. 

Henry,  and  the  northern  Cape  Charles,,  in  honor  of  the 
king's  two  eldest  sons ;  and  the  first  great  river  they 
searched,  whose  Indian  name  was  Powhatan,  they  called 
James  river,  after  the  king's  own  name. 

§  15.  Before  they  would  make  any  settlement  here,  they 
made  a  full  search  of  James  river,  and  then  by  an  unani 
mous  consent  pitched  upon  a  peninsula  about  fifty  miles 
up  the  river,  which,  besides  the  goodness  of  the  soil,  was 
esteemed  as  most  fit,  and  capable  to  be  made  a  place  both 
of  trade  and  security,  two-thirds  thereof  being  environed  by 
the  main  river,  which  affords  good  anchorage  all  along, 
and  the  other  third  by  a  small  narrow  river,  capable  of 
receiving  many  vessels  of  an  hundred  ton,  quite  up  as  high 
as  till  it  meets  within  thirty  yards  of  the  main  river  again, 
and  where  generally  in  spring  tides  it  overflows  into  the 
main  river,  by  which  means  the  land  they  chose  to  pitch 
their  town  upon  has  obtained  the  name  of  an  island.  In 
this  back  river  ships  and  small  vessels  may  ride  lashed  to 
one  another,  and  moored  ashore  secure  from  all  wind  and 
weather  whatsoever. 

The  town,  as  well  as  the  river,  had  the  honor  to  be 
called  by  King  James'  name.  The  whole  island  thus  en 
closed  contains  about  two  thousand  acres  of  high  land,  and 
several  thousands  of  very  good  and  firm  marsh,  and  is  an 
extraordinary  good  pasture  as  any  in  that  country. 

By  means  of  the  narrow  passage,  this  place  was  of  great 
security  to  them  from  the  Indian  enemy;  and  if  they  had 
then  known  of  the  biting  of  the  worm  in  the  salts,  they 
would  have  valued  this  place  upon  that  account  also,  as 
being  free  from  that  mischief. 

§16.  They  were  no  sooner  settled  in  all  this  happiness 
and  security,  but  they  fell  into  jars  and  dissensions  among 
themselves,  by  a  greedy  grasping  at  the  Indian  treasure, 
envying  and  overreaching  one  another  in  that  trade. 

After  five  weeks  stay  before  this  town,  the  ships  returned 
home  again,  leaving  one  hundred  and  eight  men  settled 
in  the  form  of  government  before  spoken  of. 

After   the   ships   were    gone,    the   same   sort   of  feuds   aud 


SUPPOSED  DISCOVERY  OF  GOLD.  21 

disorders  happened  continually  among  them,  to  the  unspeak 
able   damage   of  the   plantation. 

The  Indians  were  the  same  there  as  in  ail  other  places, 
at  first  very  fair  and  friendly,  though  afterwards  they  gave 
great  proofs  of  their  deceitfulness.  However,  by  the  help 
of  the  Indian  provisions,  the  English  chiefly  subsisted  till 
the  return  of  the  ships  the  next  year,  when  two  vessels 
were  sent  thither  full  freighted  with  men  and  provisions 
for  supply  of  the  plantation,  one  of  which  only  arrived 
directly,  and  the  other  being  beat  oft'  to  the  Caribbee  islands, 
did  not  arrive  till  the  former  was  sailed  again  for  England. 

§  17.  In  the  interval  of  these  ships  returning  from  Eng 
land,  the  English  had  a  very  advantageous  trade  with  the 
Indians,  and  might  have  made  much  greater  gains  of  it, 
and  managed  it  both  to  the  greater  satisfaction  of  the  In 
dians,  and  the  greater  ease  and  security  of  themselves,  if 
they  had  been  under  any  rule,  or  subject  to  any  method  in 
trade,  and  not  left  at  liberty  to  outvie  or  outbid  one  another, 
by  which  they  not  only  cut  short  their  own  profit,  but  created 
jealousies  and  disturbances  among  the  Indians,  by  letting  one 
have  a  better  bargain  than  another  ;  for  they  being  unac 
customed  to  barter,  such  of  them  as  had  been  hardest  dealt 
by  in  their  commodities,  thought  themselves  cheated  and 
abused  ;  and  so  conceived  a  grudge  against  the  English  in 
general,  making  it  a  national  quarrel  ;  and  this  seems  to  be 
the  original  cause  of  most  of  their  subsequent  misfortunes 
by  the  Indians. 

What  also  gave  a  greater  interruption  to  this  trade,  was  an 
object  that  drew  all  their  eyes  and  thoughts  aside,  even 
fiom  taking  the  necessary  care  for  their  preservation,  and  for 
the  support  of  their  lives,  which  was  this  :  They  found  in 
n  neck  of  land,  on  the  back  of  Jamestown  island,  a  fresh 
stream  of  water  springing  out  of  a  small  bank,  which  washed 
down  with  it  a  yellow  sort  of  dust  isinglass,  which  being 
cleansed  by  the  fresh  streaming  of  the  water,  lay  shining 
in  the  bottom  of  that  limpid  element,  and  stirred  up  in  them 
an  unseasonable  and  inordinate  desire  after  riches  ;  for  they 
taking  all  to  bo  gold  that  glittered ,  inn  into  the  utmost  dis 


22  EFFECT   OF    THE   GOLD   MANIA. 

traction,  neglecting  both  the  necessary  defence  of  their  lives 
from  the  Indians,  and  the  support  of  their  bodies  by  securing 
of  provisions ;  absolutely  relying,  like  Midas,  upon  the  al 
mighty  power  of  gold,  thinking  that  where  this  was  in 
plenty,  nothing  could  be  wanting  ;  but  they  soon  grew  sen 
sible  of  their  error,  and  found  that  if  this  gilded  dirt  had  been 
real  gold,  it  could  have  been  of  no  advantage  to  them.  For, 
by  their  negligence,  they  were  reduced  to  an  exceeding  scar 
city  of  provisions,  and  that  little  they  had  was  lost  by  the 
burning  of  their  town,  while  all  hands  were  employed  upon 
this  imaginary  golden  treasure  ;  so  that  they  were  forced  to 
live  for  some  time  upon  the  wild  fruits  of  the  earth,  and 
upon  crabs,  muscles,  and  such  like,  not  having  a  day's  pro 
vision  before-hand ;  as  some  of  the  laziest  Indians,  who  have 
no  pleasure  in  exercise,  and  wont  be  at  the  pains  to  fish 
and  hunt:  And,  indeed,  not  so  well  as  they  neither;  for 
by  this  careless  neglecting  of  their  defence  against  the  In 
dians,  many  of  them  were  destroyed  by  that  cruel  people, 
and  the  rest  durst  not  venture  abroad,  but  were  forced  to 
be  content  with  what  fell  just  into  their  mouths. 

§  18.  In  this  condition  they  were,  when  the  first  ship  of 
the  two  before  mentioned  came  to  their  assistance,  but  their 
golden  dreams  overcame  all  difficulties  ;  they  spoke  not,  nor 
thought  of  anything  but  gold,  and  that  was  all  the  lading 
that  most  of  them  were  willing  lo  take  care  for  ;  accordingly 
they  put  into  this  ship  all  the  yellow  dirt  they  had  gathered, 
and  what  skins  and  furs  they  had  trucked  for,  and  filling 
her  up  with  cedar,  sent  her  away. 

After  she  was  gone,  the  other  ship  arrived,  which  they 
stowed  likewise  with  this  supposed  gold  dust,  designing  never 
to  be  poor  again  ;  filling  her  up  with  cedar  and  clap-board. 

Those  two  ships  being  thus  dispatched,  they  made  seve 
ral  discoveries  in  James  river  and  up  Chesapeake  bay,  by  the 
undertaking  and  management  of  Captain  John  Smith  ;  and 
the  year  1608  was  the  first  year  in  which  they  gathered  In 
dian  corn  of  their  own  planting. 

While  these  discoveries  were  making  by  Captain  Smith, 
matters  run  again  into  confusion  in  Jamestown,  and  several 


FIRST    CHRISTIAN    MARRIAGE.  23 

uneasy  people,  taking  advantage  of  his  absence,  attempted  to 
desert  the  settlement,  and  run  away  with  the  small  vessel  that 
was  left  to  attend  upon  it;  for  Captain  Smith  was  the  only 
man  among  them  that  could  manage  the  discoveries  with 
success,  and  he  was  the  only  man,  too,  that  could  keep  the 
settlement  in  order.  Thus  the  English  continued  to  give 
themselves  as  much  perplexity  by  their  own  distraction  as 
the  Indians  did  by  their  watchfulness  and  resentments. 

§  19.  Anno  1609,  John  Lay  don  and  Anna  Burrows  were 
married  together,  the  first  Christian  marriage  in  that  part  of 
the  world ;  and  the  year  following  the  plantation  was  in 
creased  to  near  five  hundred  men. 

This  year  Jamestown  sent  out  people,  and  made  two  other 
settlements  ;  one  at  Nansemond  in  James  river,  above  thirty 
miles  below  Jamestown,  and  the  other  at  Powhatan,  six  miles 
below  the  falls  of  James  river,  (which  last  was  bought  of  Pow 
hatan  for  a  certain  quantity  of  copper,)  each  settlement  con 
sisting  of  about  a  hundred  and  twenty  men.  Some  small 
time  after  another  was  made  at  Kiquotan  by  the  mouth  of 
James  river. 


CHAPTER    III. 


SHEWING  WHAT  HAPPENED  AFTER  THE  ALTERATION  OF 
THE  GOVERNMENT  FROM  AN  ELECTIVE  PRESIDENT  TO  A 
COMMISSIONATED  GOVERNOR;  UNTIL  THE  DISSOLUTION  OF 
THE  COMPANY. 

§  20.  In  the  meanwhile  the  treasurer,  council  and  com 
pany  of  Virginia  adventurers  in  London,  not  finding1  that 
return  and  profit  from  the  adventurers  they  expected,  and 
rightly  judging  that  this  disappointment,  as  well  as  the  idle 
quarrels  in  the  colony,  proceeded  from  a  mismanage  of  go 
vernment,  petitioned  his  majesty,  and  got  a  new  patent 
with  leave  to  appoint  a  governor. 

Upon  this  new  grant  they  sent  out  nine  ships,  and  plentiful 
supplies  of  men  and  provisions,  and  made  three  joint  com 
missioners  or  governors  in  equal  power,  viz  :  Sir  Thomas 
Gates,  Sir  George  Summers,  and  Captain  Newport.  The}' 
agreed  to  go  all  together  in  one  ship. 

This  ship,  on  board  of  which  the  three  governors  had  em 
barked,  being  separated  from  the  rest,  was  put  to  great  dis 
tress  in  a  severe  storm  ;  and  after  three  days  and  nights  con 
stant  bailing  and  pumping,  was  at  last  cast  ashore  at  Bermu 
das,  and  there  staved,  but  by  good  providence  the  company 
was  preserved. 

Notwithstanding  this  shipwreck,  and  extremity  they  were 
put  to,  yet  could  not  this  common  misfortune  make  them 
agree.  The  best  of  it  was,  they  found  plenty  of  provi 
sions  in  that  island,  and  no  Indians  to  annoy  them.  But 
still  they  quarrelled  amongst  themselves,  and  none  more 
than  the  two  Knights  ;  who  made  their  parties,  built  each 
of  them  a  cedar  vessel,  one  called  the  Patience,  the 
other  the  Deliverance,  and  used  what  they  gathered  of 


RETURN    OF    CAPT.    SMITH.  25 

the  furniture  of  the  old  ship  for  rigging  ;  and  fish-oil,  and 
hog's-grease,  mixed  with  lime  and  ashes,  instead  of  pitch 
and  tar  :  for  they  found  great  plenty  of  Spanish  hogs  in 
this  island,  which  are  supposed  to  have  swam  ashore 
from  some  wrecks,  and  there  afterwards  increased. 

§.  21.  While  these  things  were  acting  in  Bermuda, 
Capt.  Smith  being  very  much  burnt  by  the  accidental  fi 
ring  of  some  gun-powder,  as  he  was  upon  a  discovery  in 
his  boat,  was  forced  for  his  cure  sake,  and  the  benefit  of 
a  surgeon,  to  take  his  passage  for  England,  in  a  ship 
that  was  then  upon  the  point  of  sailing. 

Several   of  the   nine   ships   that   came   out  with   the   three 
governors   arrived,    with    many  of    the  passengers ;    some   of 
which,   in   their   humors,   would    not    submit    to  the  govern 
ment   there,  pretending   the    new    commission    destroyed    the 
old  one  ;    that  governors  were  appointed   instead   of   a   presi 
dent,  and   that   they    themselves   were  to  be  of    the  council, 
and  so  would    assume    an   independent   power,  inspiring  the 
people    with    disobedience  ;    by    which    means    they    became 
frequently  exposed  in  great  parties  to  the    cruelly  of  the  In 
dians  ;    all  sorts  of  discipline    was    laid  aside,  and   their   ne 
cessary  defence  neglected  ;    so   that   the    Indians    taking    ad 
vantage  of  those  divisions,  formed  a  stratagem  to  destroy  them 
root  and  branch  ;   and,  indeed,  they    did  cut  many  of    them 
off,  by  massacreing  whole  companies  at    a  time  ;    so  that  alt 
the   out-settlements   were   deserted,  and  the  people  that  were 
not  destroyed,  took    refuge  in    Jamestown,    except    the  small  ( 
settlement  at  Kiquotan,  where    they    had  built    themselves  at 
little  fort,    and    called    it    Algernoon   fort.      And   yet,  for  all  } 
this,  they  continued  their    disorders,  wasting    their  old  provi 
sions,   and  neglecting  to  gather  others  ;    so  that  they  who  re 
mained  alive,  were  all  near  famished,  having  brought  them 
selves  to  that  pass,  that  they    durst   not   stir  from    their  own 
doors  to  gather  the  fruits  of  the  earth,  or  the  crabs  and  mus 
cles  from  the  water-side  :   much   less  to   hunt   or   catch  wild 
beasts,  fish  or  fowl,  which  were  found    in   great   abundance 
there.      They    continued   in    these   scanty   circumstances,  till 
they  were    at   last  reduced   to  such  extremity,  as  to  eat  the 
4 


26  SUFFERING    OF    COLONISTS. 

very  hides  of  their  horses,  and  the  bodies  of  the  Indians 
they  had  killed  ;  and  sometimes  also  upon  a  pinch  they 
would  not  disdain  to  dig  them  up  again ,  to  make  a  homely 
meal,  after  they  had  been  buried. 

Thus,  a  few  months  indiscreet  management  brought  such 
an  infamy  upon  the  country,  that  to  this  day  it  cannot  be 
wiped  away.  And  the  sicknesses  occasioned  by  this  bad 
diet,  or  rather  want  of  diet,  are  unjustly  remembered  to 
the  disadvantage  of  the  country,  as  a  fault  in  the  climate  ; 
which  was  only  the  foolishness  and  indiscretion  of  those 
who  assumed  the  power  of  governing.  I  call  it  assumed, 
because  the  new  commission  mentioned,  by  which  they 
pretended  to  be  of  the  council,  was  not  in'  all  this  time 
arrived,  but  remained  in  Bermuda  with  the  new  govern 
ors. 

Here,  I  cannot  but  admire  the  care,  labor,  courage  and 
understanding,  that  Capt.  John  Smith  showed  in  the 
time  of  his  administration  j  who  not  only  founded,  but 
also  preserved  all  these  settlements  in  good  order,  while 
he  was  amongst  them  ;  and,  without  him,  they  had  cer 
tainly  all  been  destroyed,  either  by  famine,  or  the  enemy 
long  before  ;  though  the  country  naturally  afforded  sub 
sistence  enough,  even  without  any  other  labor  than  that 
of  gathering  and  preserving  its  spontaneous  provisions. 

For  the  first  three  years  that  Capt.  Smith  was  with 
them,  they  never  had  in  that  whole  time,  above  six 
months  English  provisions.  But  as  soon  .  as  he  had  left 
them  to  themselves,  all  went  to  ruin  j  for  the  Indians  had 
no  longer  any  fear  for  themselves,  or  friendship  for  the 
English.  And  six  months  after  this  gentleman's  departure, 
the  500  men  that  he  had  left  were  reduced  to  threescore  ; 
and  they,  too,  must  of  necessity,  have  starved,  if  their 
relief  had  been  delayed  a  week  longer  at  sea. 

§.  22.  In  the  mean  time,  the  three  governors  put  to 
sea  from  Burmuda,  in  their  two  small  vessels,  with  their 
company,  to  the  number  of  one  hundred  and  fifty,  and 
in  fourteen  days,  viz.  :  the  25th  of  May,  1610,  they  ar 
rived  both  together  in  Virginia,  and  went  with  their  ves- 


ARRIVAL    OP    RELIEF.  27 

sels  up  to  Jamestown,  where  they  found  the  small!  re 
mainder  of  the  five  hundred  men,  in  that  melancholy  way 
I  just  now  hinted. 

§.  23.  Sir  Thomas  Gates,  Sir  George  Summers,  and  Cap 
tain  Newport,  the  governors,  were  very  compassionate1  of 
their  condition,  and  called  a  council,  wherein  they  inform 
ed  them,  that  they  had  but  sixteen  days  provision  aboard  ; 
and  therefore  desired  to  know  their  opinion,  whether  they 
would  venture  to  sea  under  such  a  scarcity  ;  or,  if  they 
resolved  to  continue  in  the  settlement,  and  take  their  for 
tunes,  they  would  stay  likewise,  and  share  the  provisions 
among  them  ;  but  desired  that  their  determination  might 
be  speedy.  They  soon  came  to  the  conclusion  of  return 
ing  for  England  ;  but  because  their  provisions  were  short, 
they  resolved  to  go  by  the  banks  of  Newfoundland,  in 
hopes  of  meeting  with  some  of  the  fishermen,  (this  being 
now  the  season,)  and  dividing  themselves  among  their 
ships,  for  the  greater  certainty  of  provision,  and  for  their 
better  accommodation. 

According  to  this  resolution,  they  all  went  aboard,  and 
fell  down  to  Hog  Island,  the  9th  of  June,  at  night,  and 
the  next  morning  to  Mulbeny  Island  Point,  which  is 
eighteen  miles  below  Jamestown,  and  thirty  above  the 
mouth  of  the  river ;  and  there  they  spied  a  long  boat, 
which  the  Lord  Delawarr  (who  was  just  arrived  with  three 
ships,)  had  sent  before  him  up  the  river  sounding  the  chan 
nel.  His  lordship  was  made  sole  governor,  and  was  accom 
panied  by  several  gentlemen  of  condition.  He  caused  all 
the  men  to  return  again  to  Jamestown  ;  re-settled  them 
with  satisfaction,  and  staid  with  them  till  March  follow 
ing  ;  and  then  being  very  sick,  he  returned  for  England, 
leaving  about  two  hundred  in  the  colony. 

§.  24.  On  the  10th  of  May,  1611,  Sir  Thomas  Dale  being 
then  made  governor,  arrived  with  three  ships,  which  brought 
supplies  of  men,  cattle  and  hogs.  He  found  them  growing 
again  into  the  like  disorders  as  before,  taking  no  care  to 
plant  corn,  and  wholly  relying  upon  their  store,  which  then 
had  but  three  months  provision  in  it.  He  therefore  set 


28  POCAHONTAS    TAKEN    PRISONER. 

them  to  work  about  corn,  and  though  it  was  the  middle 
of  May  before  they  began  to  prepare  the  ground,  yet  they 
had  an  indifferent  good  crop. 

§.  25.  In  August,  the  same  year,  Sir  Thomas  Gates  ar 
rived  at  Jamestown  with  six  ships  more,  and  with  a  plenti 
ful  supply  of  hogs,  cattle,  fowls,  &c.,  with  a  good  quan 
tity  of  ammunition,  and  all  other  things  necessary  for  a  new 
colony,  and  besides  this,  a  reinforcement  of  three  hundred 
and  fifty  chosen  men.  In  the  beginning  of  September 
he  settled  a  new  town  at  Arrabattuck,  about  fifty  miles 
above  Jamestown,  paling  in  the  neck  above  two  miles  from 
the  point,  from  one  reach  of  the  river  to  the  other.  Here 
he  built  forts  and  sentry-boxes,  and  in  honor  of  Henry 
Prince  of  Wales,  called  it  Henrico.  And  also  run  a  pali- 
sado  on  the  other  side  of  the  river,  at  Coxendale,  to  se 
cure  their  hogs. 

§.  26.  Anno  1612,  two  ships  more  arrived  with  supplies; 
and  Capt.  Argall,  who  commanded  one  of  them,  being 
sent  in  her  to  Patowmeck  to  buy  corn,  he  there  met  with 
Pocahontas,  the  excellent  daughter  of  Powhatan  ;  and  hav 
ing  prevailed  with  her  to  come  aboard  to  a  treat,  he  de 
tained  her  prisoner,  and  carried  her  to  Jamestown,  design 
ing  to  make  peace  with  her  father  by  her  release  ;  but 
on  the  contrary,  that  prince  resented  the  affront  very  high 
ly  ;  and  although  he  loved  his  daughter  with  all  imagi 
nable  tenderness,  yet  he  would  not  be  brought  to  terms 
by  that  unhandsome  treachery ;  till  about  two  years  after 
a  marriage  being  proposed  between  Mr.  John  Rolfe,  an 
English  gentleman,  and  this  lady  ;  which  Powhatan  taking 
to  be  a  sincere  token  of  friendship,  he  vouchsafed  to  con 
sent  to  it,  and  to  conclude  a  peace,  though  he  would  not 
come  to  the  wedding. 

§.  27.  Pocahontas  being  thus  married  in  the  year  1613, 
a  firm  peace  was  concluded  with  her  father.  Both  the 
English  and  Indians  thought  themselves  entirely  secure  and 
quiet.  This  brought  in  the  Chickahominy  Indians  also, 
though  not  out  of  any  kindness  or  respect  to  the  English, 
but  out  of  fear  of  being,  by  their  assistance,  brought  un- 


FOCAHONTAS    IN    ENGLAND.  29 

der  Powhatan's  absolute  subjection,  who  used  now  and 
then  to  threaten  and  tyrannize  over  them. 

§.  28.  Sir  Thomas  Dale  returning  for  England,  Anno 
1616,  took  with  him  Mr.  Rolfe  and  his  wife  Pocahontas, 
who,  upon  the  marriage,  was  christened,  and  called  Re 
becca.  He  left  Capt.  George  Yardly  deputy -governor  dur 
ing  his  absence,  the  country  being  then  entirely  at  .peace; 
and  arrived  at  Plymouth  the  12th  of  June. 

Capt.  John  Smith  was  at  that  time  in  England,  and 
hearing  of  the  arrival  of  Pocahontas  at  Portsmouth,  used 
all  the  means  he  could  to  express  his  gratitude  to  her,  as 
having  formerly  preserved  his  life  by  the  hazard  of  her 
own  ;  for,  when  by  the  command  of  her  father,  Capt. 
Smith's  head  was  upon  the  block  to  have  his  brains 
knocked  out,  she  saved  his  head  by  laying  hers  close 
upon  it.  He  was  at  that  time  suddenly  to  embark  for 
New  England,  and  fearing  he  should  sail  before  she  got 
to  London,  he  made  an  humble  petition  to  the  Q,ueen 
in  her  behalf,  which  I  here  choose  to  give  you  in  his 
own  woids,  because  it  will  save  me  the  story  at  large. 

§.  29.   Capt.   Smith's   petition    to   her   Majesty,   in   behalf  of 
Pocahontas,   daughter   to   the   Indian   Emperor,  Powhatan. 

To  the   most   high   and   virtuous   princess,   Queen   Anne,  of 
Great    Britain  : 

Most   admired    madam — 

The  love  I  bear  my  God,  my  king,  and  country,  hath 
so  often  emboldened  me  in  the  worst  of  extreme  dangers, 
that  now  honestly  doth  constrain  me  to  presume  thus  far 
beyond  myself,  to  present  your  majesty  this  short  discourse. 
If  ingratitude  be  a  deadly  poison  to  all  honest  virtues,  I 
must  be  guilty  of  that  crime,  if  I  should  omit  any  means 
to  be  thankful. 
So  it  was, 

That  about  ten  years  ago,  being  in  Virginia,  and   taken 


30  PETITION    OP    CAPT.    SMITH. 

prisoner  by  the  power  of  Powhatan,  their  chief  king,  I 
received  from  this  great  savage  exceeding  great  courtesy, 
especially  from  his  son,  Nantaquaus  ;  the  manliest,  comeli- 
est,  boldest  spirit  I  ever  saw  in  a  savage  ;  and  his  sister 
Pocahontas,  the  king's  most  dear  and  well-beloved  daugh 
ter,  being  but  a  child  of  twelve  or  thirteen  years  of  age, 
whose  compassionate  pitiful  heart  of  my  desperate  estate 
gave  me  much  cause  to  respect  her.  I  being  the  first 
Christian  this  proud  king  and  his  grim  attendants  ever 
saw,  and  thus  enthralled  in  their  barbarous  power  ;  I  can 
not  say  I  felt  the  least  occasion  of  want,  that  was  in  the 
power  of  those  my  mortal  foes  to  prevent,  notwithstanding 
all  their  threats.  After  some  six  weeks  fatting  amongst  those 
savage  courtiers,  at  the  minute  of  my  execution,  she  haz 
arded  the  beating  out  of  her  own  brains  to  save  mine,  and 
not  only  that,  but  so  prevailed  with  her  father,  that  I  was 
safely  conducted  to  Jamestown,  where  I  found  about  eight 
and  thirty  miserable,  poor  and  sick  creatures,  to  keep  pos 
session  for  all  those  large  territories  of  Virginia.  Such  was 
the  weakness  of  this  poor  commonwealth,  as  had  not  the 
savages  fed  us,  we  directly  had  starved. 

And  this  relief,  most  gracious  queen,  was  commonly 
brought  us  by  this  lady  Pocahontas,  notwithstanding  all 
these  passages,  when  unconstant  fortune  turned  our  peace 
to  war,  this  tender  virgin  would  still  not  spare  to  dare  to 
visit  us  ;  and  by  her  our  jars  have  been  oft  appeased,  and 
our  wants  still  supplied.  Were  it  the  policy  of  her  fa 
ther  thus  to  employ  her,  or  the  ordinance  of  God  thus 
to  make  her  his  instrument,  or  her  extraordinary  affection 
to  our  nation,  I  know  not :  but  of  this  I  am  sure,  when 
her  father,  with  the  utmost  of  his  policy  and  power,  sought 
to  surprise  me,  having  but  eighteen  with  me,  the  dark  night 
could  not  affright  her  from  coming  through  the  irksome 
woods,  and,  with  watered  eyes,  give  me  intelligence,  with 
her  best  advice  to  escape  his  fury  ,  which  had  he  known, 
he  had  surely  slain  her. 

Jamestown,  with  her  wild  train,  she  as  freely  frequented 
as  her  father's  habitation  ;  and  during  the  time  of  two  or 


PETITION    OF    CAPT.    SMITH. 


31 


three  years,  she,  next  under  God,  was  still  the  instrument 
lo  preserve  this  colony  from  death,  famine,  and  utter  confu 
sion,  which  if,  in  those  times,  had  once  been  dissolved, 
Virginia  might  have  lain,  as  it  was  at  our  first  arrival,  till 
this  day.  Since  then,  this  business  having  been  turned 
and  varied  by  many  accidents  from  what  I  left  it,  it  is 
most  certain,  after  a  long  and  troublesome  war,  since  my 
departure,  betwixt  her  father  and  our  colony,  all  which  time 
she  was  not  heard  of,  about  two  years  after  she  herself 
was  taken  prisoner,  being  so  detained  near  two  years  longer, 
the  colony  by  that  means  was  relieved,  peace  concluded, 
and  at  last,  rejecting  her  barbarous  condition,  she  was  mar 
ried  to  an  English  gentleman,  with  whom  at  this  present 
she  is  in  England.  The  first  Christian  ever  of  that  na 
tion  ;  the  first  Virginian  ever  spake  English,  or  had  a 
child  in  marriage  by  an  Englishman — a  matter  surely,  if 
my  meaning  be  truly  considered  and  well  understood,  wor 
thy  a  prince's  information. 

Thus,  most  gracious  lady,  I  have  related  to  your  ma 
jesty,  what  at  your  best  leisure,  our  approved  histories  will 
recount  to  you  at  large,  as  done  in  the  time  of  your 
majesty's  life ;  and  however  this  might  be  presented  you 
from  a  more  worthy  pen,  it  cannot  from  a  more  honest 
heart. 

As  yet,  I  never  begged  anything  of  the  State  ;  and  it 
is  my  want  of  ability,  and  her  exceeding  desert ;  your 
birth,  means,  and  authority  ;  her  birth,  virtue,  want  and 
simplicity,  doth  make  me  thus  bold,  humbly  to  beseech 
your  majesty  to  take  this  knowledge  of  her,  though  it  be 
from  one  so  unworthy  to  be  the  reporter  as  myself ;  her 
husband's  estate  not  being  able  to  make  her  fit  to  attend 
your  majesty. 

The  most  and  least  I  can  do,  is  to  tell  you  this,  and 
the  rather  because  of  her  being  of  so  great  a  spirit,  how 
ever  her  stature.  If  she  should  not  be  well  received,  see 
ing  this  kingdom  may  rightly  have  a  kingdom  by  her 
means  ;  her  present  love  to  us  and  Christianity,  might  turn 
to  such  scorn  and  fury,  as  to  divert  all  this  good  to  the 


32  MEETING   OF    SMITH    AND    POCAHONTAS. 

worst  of  evil.  Where  finding  that  so  great  a  queen  should 
do  her  more  honor  than  she  can  imagine,  for  iiaving  been 
kind  to  her  subjects  and  servants,  'twould  so  ravish  her 
with  content,  as  to  endear  her  dearest  blood,  to  effect  that 
your  majesty  and  all  the  king's  honest  subjects  most  ear 
nestly  desire.  And  so  I  humbly  kiss  your  gracious  hands, 
&c. 

(Signed) 

JOHN  SMITH. 
Dated  June,   1616. 

§.  30.  This  account  was  presented  to  her  majesty,  and 
graciously  received.  But  before  Capt.  Smith  sailed  for 
New  England,  the  Indian  princess  arrived  at  London,  and 
her  husband  took  lodgings  for  her  at  Branford,  to  be  a 
little  out  of  the  smoke  of  the  city,  whither  Capt.  Smith, 
with  some  of  his  friends,  went  to  see  her  and  congratu 
late  her  arrival,  letting  her  know  the  address  he  had  made 
to  the  queen  in  her  favor. 

Till  this  lady  arrived  in  England,  she  had  all  along 
been  informed  that  Captain  Smith  was  dead,  because  he 
had  been  diverted  from  that  colony  by  making  settlements 
in  the  second  plantation,  now  called  New  England  ;  for 
which  reason,  when  she  saw  him,  she  seemed  to  think  her 
self  much  affronted,  for  that  they  had  dared  to  impose  so 
gross  an  untruth  upon  her,  and  at  first  sight  of  him  turn 
ed  away.  It  cost  him  a  great  deal  of  intreaty,  and  some 
hours  attendance,  before  she  would  do  him  the  honor  to 
speak  to  him  ;  but  at  last  she  was  reconciled,  and  talked 
freely  to  him.  She  put  him  in  mind  of  her  former  kind 
nesses,  and  then  upbraided  him  for  his  forgetfulness  of  her, 
showing  by  her  reproaches,  that  even  a  state  of  nature 
teaches  to  abhor  ingratitude. 

She  had  in  her  retinue  a  Werowance,  or  great  man  of 
her  own  nation,  whose  name  was  Uttamaccornack.  This 
man  had  orders  from  Powhatan,  to  count  the  people  in 
England,  and  give  him  an  account  of  their  number.  Now 


DEATH    OP    POCAHONTAS.  33 

the  Indians  having  no  letters  among  them,  he  at  his  going 
ashore,  provided  a  stick,  in  which  he  was  to  make  a  notch 
for  every  man  he  saw  ;  but  this  accomptant  soon  grew  wea 
ry  of  that  tedious  exercise,  and  threw  his  stick  away  :  and 
at  his  return,  being  asked  by  his  king,  How  many  peo 
ple  there  were?  He  desired  him  to  count  the  stars  in  the 
sky,  the  leaves  upon  the  trees,  and  the  sand  on  the  sea 
shore,  for  so  many  people  (he  said)  were  in  England. 

§.  31.  Pocahontas  had  many  honors  done  her  by  the 
queen  upon  account  of  Captain  Smith's  story  ;  and  being 
introduced  -by  the  Lady  Delawarr,  she  was  frequently  admit 
ted  to  wait  on  her  majesty,  and  was  publicly  treated  as 
a  prince's  daughter  ;  she  was  carried  to  many  plays,  balls, 
and  other  public  entertainments,  and  very  respectfully  re 
ceived  by  all  the  ladies  about  the  court.  Upon  all  which 
occasions,  she  behaved  herself  with  so  much  decency,  and 
showed  so  much  grandeur  in  her  deportment,  that  she 
made  good  the  brightest  part  of  the  character  Capt.  Smith 
had  given  of  her.  In  the  meanwhile,  she  gained  the 
good  opinion  of  everybody  so  much,  that  the  poor  gentle 
man,  her  husband,  had  like  to  have  been  called  to  an 
account,  for  presuming  to  marry  a  princess  royal  without 
the  kin'g's  consent  ;  because  it  had  been  suggested  that 
he  had  taken  advantage  of  her,  being  a  prisoner,  and 
forced  her  to  marry  him.  But  upon  a  moie  perfect  re 
presentation  of  the  matter,  his  majesty  was  pleased  at  last 
to  declare  himself  satisfied.  But  had  their  true  condition 
here  been  known,  that  pother  had  been  saved. 

Everybody  paid  this  young  lady  all  imaginable  respect  ; 
and  it  is  supposed,  she  would  have  sufficiently  acknow 
ledged  those  favors,  had  she  lived  to  return  to  her  own 
country,  by  bringing  the  Indians  to  have  a  kinder  dispo 
sition  towards  the  English.  But  upon  her  return  she  was 
unfortunately  taken  ill  at  Gravesend,  and  died  in  a  few 
days  after,  giving  great  testimony  all  the  time  she  lay 
sick,  of  her  being  a  very  good  Christian.  She  left  issue 
one  son,  named  Thomas  Rolfe,  whose  posterity  is  at  this 

5 


34  DEATH    OF    POWHATAN. 

day  in  good  repute  in  Virginia,  and  now  hold  lands  by 
descent  from  her. 

§.  32.  Captain  Yardly  made  but  a  very  ill  governor,  he 
let  the  buildings  and  forts  go  to  ruin  ;  not  regarding  the 
security  of  the  people  against  the  Indians,  neglecting  the 
corn,  and  applying  all  hands  to  plant  tobacco,  which  pro 
mised  the  most  immediate  gain.  In  this  condition  they 
were  when  Capt.  Samuel  Argali  was  sent  thither  gover 
nor,  Anno  1617,  who  found  the  number  of  people  re 
duced  to  little  more  than  four  hundred,  of  which  not 
above  half  were  fit  for  labor.  In  the  meanwhile  the  In 
dians  mixing  among  them,  got  experience  daily  in  fire 
arms,  and  some  of  them  were  instructed  therein  by  the 
English  themselves,  and  employed  to  hunt  and  kill  wild 
fowl  for  them.  So  great  was  their  security  upon  this 
marriage  ;  but  governor  Argali  not  liking  those  methods, 
regulated  them  on  his  arrival,  and  Capt.  Yardly  returned 
to  England. 

§.  33.  Governor  Argali  made  the  colony  flourish  and  in 
crease  wonderfully,  and  kept  them  in  great  plenty  and 
quiet.  The  next  year,  viz.  :  Anno  1618,  the  Lord  Dela- 
warr  was  sent  over  again  with  two  hundred  men  more 
for  the  settlement,  with  other  necessaries  suitable :  but 
sailing  by  the  Western  Islands,  they  met  with  contrary 
winds,  and  great  sickness;  so  that  about  thirty  of  them 
died,  among  which  the  Lord  Delawarr  was  one.  By 
which  means  the  government  there  still  continued  in  the 
hands  of  Capt.  Argali. 

§.  34.  Powhatan  died  in  April  the  same  year,  leaving 
his  second  brother  Itopatin  in  possession  of  his  empire,  a 
prince  far  short  of  the  parts  of  Oppechancanough,  who 
by  some  was  said  to  be  his  elder  brother,  and  then  king 
of  Chickahomony  ;  but  he  having  debauched  them  from 
the  allegiance  of  Powhatan,  was  disinherited  by  him. 
This  Oppechancanough  was  a  cunning  and  a  brave  prince, 
and  soon  grasped  all  the  empire  to  himself.  But  at  first 
they  jointly  renewed  the  peace  with  the  English,  upon 
the  accession  of  Itopatin  to  the  crown. 


35 

§.  35.  Governor  Argall  flourishing  thus  under  the  bles 
sings  of  peace  and  plenty,  and  having  no  occasion  of 
fear  or  disturbance  from  the  Indians,  sought  new  occasions 
of  encouraging  the  plantation.  To  that  end,  he  intended 
a  coasting  voyage  to  the  northward,  to  view  the  places 
where  the  English  ships  had  so  often  laded  ;  and  if  he 
missed  them,  to  reach  the  fisheries  on  the  banks  of  New 
foundland,  and  so  settle  a  trade  and  correspondence  either 
with  the  one  or  the  other.  In  accomplishing  whereof,  as 
he  touched  at  Cape  Cod,  he  was  informed  by  the  Indians, 
that  some  white  people  like  him  were  come  to  inhabit  to 
the  northward  of  them,  upon  the  coast  of  their  neighbor 
ing  nations*  Capt.  Argall  not  having  heard  of  any  Eng 
lish  plantation  that  way,  was  jealous  that  it  might  be  (as 
it  proved,)  the  people  of  some  other  nation.  And  being 
very  zealous  for  the  honor  and  benefit  of  England,  he  re 
solved  to  make  search  according  to  the  information  he  had 
received,  and  see  who  they  were.  Accordingly  he  found 
the  settlement,  and  a  ship  riding  before  it.  This  belonged 
to  some  Frenchmen,  who  had  fortified  themselves  upon  a 
small  mount  on  the  north  of  New  England. 

§.  36.  His  unexpected  arrival  so  confounded  the  French, 
that  they  could  make  no  preparation  for  resistance  on 
board  their  ship  ;  which  Captain  Argall  drew  so  close  to, 
that  with  his  small  arms  he  beat  all  the  men  from  the 
deck,  so  that  they  could  not  use  their  guns,  their  ship 
having  only  a  single  deck.  Among  others,  there  were 
two  Jesuits  on  board,  one  of  which  being  more  bold  than 
wise,  with  all  that  disadvantage,  endeavored  to  fire  one  of 
their  cannon,  and  was  shot  dead  for  his  pains. 

Captain  Argall  having  taken  the  ship,  landed  and  went 
before  the  fort,  summoning  it  to  surrender.  The  gar 
rison  asked  time  to  advise  ;  but  that  being  denied  them, 
they  stole  privately  away,  and  fled  into  the  woods.  Upon 
this,  Captain  Argall  entered  the  fort,  and  lodged  there  that 
night  ;  and  the  next  day  the  French  came  to  him,  and  sur 
rendered  themselves.  It  seems  the  king  of  France  had 


30 

granted  them  a  patent  for  this  settlement,  but  they  gave 
it  up  to  Captain  Argall  to  be  cancelled.  He  used  them 
very  well,  and  suffered  such  as  had  a  mind  to  return  to 
France,  to  seek  their  passage  among  the  ships  of  the  fish 
ery  ;  but  obliged  them  to  desert  this  settlement.  And  those 
that  were  willing  to  go  to  Virginia,  he  took  with  him. 

§.37.  These  people  were  under  the  conduct  of  two  Je 
suits,  who  upon  taking  a  pique  against  their  governor  in 
Acadia,  named  Biencourt,  had  lately  separated  from  a 
French  setttlement  at  Port  Royal,  lying  in  the  bay,  upon 
the  south-west  part  of  Acadia. 

§.  38.  As  Governor  Argall  was  about  to  return  to  Virgi 
nia,  father  Biard,  the  surviving  Jesuit  (out  of  malice  to 
Biencourt,)  told  him  of  this  French  settlement  at  Port 
Royal,  and  offered  to  pilot  him  to  it  ;  which  Governor  Ar 
gall  readily  accepted  of.  With  the  same  ease,  he  took 
that  settlement  also  ;  where  the  French  had  sowed  and 
reaped,  built  barns,  mills,  and  other  conveniences,  which 
Captain  Argall  did  no  damage  to  ;  but  unsettled  them,  and 
obliged  them  to  make  a  desertion  from  thence.  He  gave 
these  the  same  leave  he  had  done  the  others,  to  dispose  of 
themselves  ;  some  whereof  returned  to  France,  and  others 
went  to  settle  up  the  river  of  Canada.  After  this  Gover 
nor  Aigall  returned  satisfied  with  the  provision  and  plunder 
he  had  got  in  those  two  settlements. 

§.  39.-  The  report  of  these  exploits  soon  reached  England; 
and  whether  they  were  approved  or  no,  being  acted  with 
out  particular  direction,  I  have  not  learned  ;  but  certain  it 
is,  that  in  April  following  there  arrived  a  small  vessel, 
which  did  not  stay  for  anything,  but  took  on  board  Go 
vernor  Argall,  and  returned  for  England.  He  left  Capt. 
Naihaniel  Powel  deputy  ;  and  soon  after  Capt.  Yardly  be 
ing  knighted,  was  sent  governor  thither  again. 

§.40.  Very  great  supplies  of  cattle  and  other  provisions 
were  sent  there  that  year,  and  likewise  1000  or  1200  men. 
They  resettled  all  their  old  plantations  that  had  been  de 
serted,  made  additions  to  the  number  of  the  council,  and 


FIRST    GENERAL    ASSEMBLY.  37 

called  an  assembly  of  Burgesses  from  all  parts  of  the 
country,  which  were  to  be  elected  by  the  people  in  their 
several  plantations. 

These  burgesses  met  the  governor  and  council  at  James 
town  in  May,  1620,  and  sat  in  consultation  in  the  same 
house  with  them,  as  the  method  of  the  Scots  Parliament 
is,  debating  matters  for  the  improvement  and  good  govern 
ment  of  the  country. 

This  was  the  first  general  assembly  that  was  ever  held 
there.  I  heartily  wish  though  they  did  not  unite  their 
houses  again,  they  would,  however,  unite  their  endeavors 
and  affections  for  the  good  of  the  country. 

§.41.  In  August  following,  a  Dutch  man-of-war  landed 
twenty  negroes  for  sale  ;  which  were  the  first  of  that  kind 
that  were  carried  into  the  country. 

§.  42.  This  year  they  bounded  the  corporations,  (as  they 
called  them  :)  But  there  does  not  remain  among  the  re 
cords  any  one  grant  of  these  corporations.  There  is  en 
tered  a  testimony  of  Governor  Argall,  concerning  the  bounds 
of  the  corporation  of  James  City,  declaring  his  knowledge 
thereof;  and  this  is  one  of  the  new  transcribed  books  of 
record.  But  there  is  not  to  be  found,,  one  word  of  the 
charter  or  patent  itself  of  this  corporation. 

Then  also,  they  apportioned  and  laid  our  lands  in  se 
veral  allotments,  viz.  :  to  the  company  in  several  places, 
to  the  governor,  to  a  college,  to  glebes,  and  to  several 
particular  persons  ;  many  new  settlements  were  made  in 
James  and  York  rivers.  The  people  knew  their  own 
property,  and  having  the  encouragement  of  working  for 
their  own  advantage,  many  became  very  industrious,  and 
began  to  vie  one  with  another,  in  planting,  building,  and 
other  improvements.  Two  gentlemen  went  over  as  depu 
ties  to  the  company,  for  the  management  of  their  lands, 
and  those  of  the  college.  All  thoughts  of  danger  from 
the  Indians  were  laid  aside.  Several  great  gifts  were  made 
to  the  church  and  college,  and  for  the  bringing  up  young 
Indians  at  school,  Forms  were  made,  and  rules  appoint- 


dO  SALT — IRON    ORE— TOBACCO. 

• 

ed  for  granting  patents  for  land,  upon  the  condition  of 
importing  goods  and  persons  to  supply  and  increase  the 
colony.  And  all  there  then  began  think  themselves  the 
happiest  people  in  the  world. 

§.  43.  Thus  Virginia  continued  to  flourish  and  increase, 
great  supplies  continually  arriving,  and  new  settlements 
being  made  all  over  the  country.  A  salt  work  was  set 
up  at  Cape  Charles,  on  the  Eastern  Shore  ;  and  an  iron 
work  at  Falling  Creek,  in  James  river,  where  they  made 
proof  of  good  iron  ore,  and  brought  the  whole  work  so 
near  a  perfection,  that  they  writ  word  to  the  company  in 
London,  that  they  did  not  doubt  but  to  finish  the  work, 
and  have  plentiful  provision  of  iron  for  them  by  the  next 
Easter.  At  that  time  the  fame  of  the  plenty  and  riches, 
in  which  the  English  lived  there,  was  very  great.  And 
Sir  George  Yardly  now  had  all  the  appearance  of  making 
amends  for  the  errors  of  his  former  government.  Never 
theless  he  let  them  run  into  the  same  sleepiness  and  se 
curity  as  before,  neglecting  all  thoughts  of  a  necessary 
defence,  which  laid  the  foundatian  of  the  following  ca 
lamities. 

§.  44.  But  the  time  of  his  government  being  near  ex 
pired,  Sir  Francis  Wyat,  then  a  young  man,  had  a  com 
mission  to  succeed  him.  The  people  began  to  grow  nu 
merous,  thirteen  hundred  settling  there  that  year ;  which 
was  the  occasion  of  making  so  much  tobacco,  as  to  over 
stock  the  market.  Wherefore  his  majesty,  out  of  pity  to 
the  country,  sent  his  commands,  that  they  should  not  suf 
fer  their  planters  to  make  above  one  hundred  pounds  of 
tobacco  per  man  ;  for  the  market  was  so  low,  thnt  he 
could  not  afford  to  give  them  above  three  shillings  the 
pound  fur  it.  He  advised  them  rather  to  turn  their  spare 
time  towards  providing  corn  and  stock,  and  towards  the 
making  of  potash,  or' other  manufactures. 

It  was  October,  1621,  that  Sir  Francis  Wyat  arrived 
governor,  and  in  November,  Captain  Newport  arrived  with 
fifty  men,  imported  at  his  own  charge,  besides  passengers  ; 
and  made  a  plantation  on  Newport's  News,  naming  it 


FIRST    COUNTY    COURTS.  39 

after  himself.  The  governor  made  a  review  of  all  the 
settlements,  and  suffered  new  ones  to  be  made,  even  as 
far  as  Potomac  river.  This  ought  to  be  observed  of  the 
Eastern  Shore  Indians,  that  they  never  gave  the  English 
any  trouble,  but  courted  and  befriended  them  from  first 
to  last.  Perhaps  the  English,  by  the  time  they  came  to 
settle  those  parts,  had  considered  how  to  rectify  their  form 
er  mismanagement,  and  learned  better  methods  of  regula 
ting  their  trade  with  the  Indians,  and  of  treating  them 
more  kindly  than  at  first. 

§.  45.  Anno  1622,  inferior  courts  were  first  appointed  by 
the  general  assembly,  under  the  name  of  county  courts, 
for  trial  of  minute  causes  ;  the  governor  and  council  still 
remaining  judges  of  the  supreme  court  of  the  colony.  In 
the  meantime,  by  the  great  increase  of  people,  and  the 
long  quiet  they  had  enjoyed  among  the  Indians,  since  the 
marriage  of  Pocahontas,  and  the  accession  of  Oppechan- 
canough  to  the  imperial  crown,  all  men  were  lulled  into 
a  fatal  security,  and  became  everywhere  familiar  with  the 
Indians,  eating,  drinking,  and  sleeping  amongst  them  ;  by 
which  means  they  became  perfectly  acquainted  with  all 
our  English  strength,  and  the  use  of  our  arms — knowing 
at  all  times,  when  and  where  to  find  our  people  ;  wheth 
er  at  home,  or  in  the  woods  ;  in  bodies,  or  disperst  ;  in 
condition  of  defence,  or  indefensible.  This  exposing  of 
their  weakness  gave  them  occasion  to  think  more  contempti 
bly  of  them,  than  otherwise,  perhaps,  they  would  have 
done  ;  for  which  reason  they  became  more  peevish,  and 
more  hardy  to  attempt  anything  against  them. 

§.  46.  Thus  upon  the  loss  of  one  of  their  leading  men, 
(u  war  captain,  as  they  call  him,)  who  was  likewise  sup 
posed  to  be  justly  killed,  Oppechancanough  took  affront, 
and  in  revenge  laid  the  plot  of  a  general  massacre  of  the 
English,  to  be  executed  on  the  22d  of  March,  1622,  a 
little  before  noon,  at  a  time  when  our  men  were  all  at 
work  abroad  in  their  plantations,  disperst  and  unarmed^ 
This  hellish  contrivance  was  to  take  effect  upon  all  the 


40  MASSACRE  OF  THE  COLONISTS. 

several  settlements  at  one  and  the  same  instant,  except  on 
the  Eastern  Shore,  whither  this  plot  did  not  reach.  .The 
Indians  had  been  made  so  familiar  with  the  English,  as 
to  borrow  their  boats  and  canoes  to  cross  the  river  in, 
when  they  went  to  consult  with  their  neighboring1  Indians 
upon  this  execrable  conspiracy.  And  to  color  their  design  the 
better,  they  brought  presents  of  deer,  turkies,  fish  and  fruits 
to  the  English  the  evening  before.  The  very  morning  of  the 
massacre,  they  came  freely  and  unarmed  among  them, 
eating  with  them,  and  behaving  themselves  with  the  same 
freedom  and  friendship  as  formerly,  till  the  very  minute 
they  were  to  put  their  plot  in  execution.  Then  they  fell 
to  work  all  at  once  everywhere,  knocking  the  English  un 
awares  on  the  head,  some  with  their  hatchets,  which  they 
call  tomahawks,  others  with  the  hoes  and  axes  of  the 
English  themselves,  shooting  at  those  who  escaped  the  reach 
of  their  hands  ;  sparing  neither  age  nor  sex,  but  destroy 
ing  man,  woman,  and  child,  according  to  their  cruel  way 
of  leaving  none  behind  to  bear  resentment.  But  whatev 
er  was  not  done  by  surprise  that  day,  was  left  undone,  and 
many  that  made  early  resistance  escaped. 

By  the  account  taken  of  the  Christians  murdered  that 
morning,  they  were  found  to  be  three  hundred  and  forty- 
seven,  most  of  them  falling  by  their  own  instruments,  and 
working  tools. 

§.  47.  The  massacre  had  been  much  more  general,  had 
not  this  plot  been  providentially  discovered  to  ihe  English 
some  hours  before  the  execution.  It  happened  thus  : 

Two  Indians  that  used  to  be  employed  by  the  English  to 
hunt  for  them,  happened  to  lie  together,  the  night  before 
the  massacre,  in  an  Englishmen's  house,  where  one  of 
them  was  employed.  The  Indian  that  was  the  guest  fell 
to  persuading  the  other  to  rise  and  kill  his  master,  telling 
him,  that  he  would  do  the  same  by  his  own  the  next  day. 
Whereupon  he  discovered  the  whole  plot  that  was  design 
ed  to  be  executed  on  the  morrow.  But  the  other,  instead 
of  entering  into  the  plot,  and  murdering  his  master,  got 


CAUSE    OF    THE    MASSACRE.  41 

up  (under  pretence  of  going  to  execute  his  comrade's  ad 
vice,)  went  into  his  master's  chamber,  and  revealed  to  him 
the  whole  story  that  he  had  been  told.  The  master  here 
upon  arose,  secured  his  own  house,  and  before  day  got  to 
Jamestown,  which,  together  with  such  plantations  as  could 
receive  notice  time  enough,  were  saved  by  this  means ; 
the  rest,  as  they  happened  to  be  watchful  in  their  de 
fence,  also  escaped  ;  but  such  as  were  surprised,  were  mas 
sacred.  Captain  Croshaw  in  his  vessel  at  Potomac,  had 
notice  also  given  him  by  a  young  Indian,  by  which  means 
he  came  off  untouched. 

§.  48.  The  occasion  upon  which  Oppechancanough  took 
affront  was  this.  The  war  captain  mentioned  before  to  have 
been  killed,  was  called  Nemattanow.  He  was  an  active 
Indian,  a  great  warrior,  and  in  much  esteem  among  them  ; 
so  much,  that -they  believed  him  to  be  invulnerable,  and 
immortal,  because  he  had  been  in  very  many  conflicts, 
and  escaped  untouched  from  them  all.  He  was  also  a 
very  cunning  fellow,  and  took  great  pride  in  preserving 
and  increasing  this  their  superstition  concerning  him,  af 
fecting  everything  that  was  odd  and  prodigious,  to  work 
upon  their  admiration.  For  which  purpose  he  would 
often  dress  himself  up  with  feathers  after  a  fantastic  man 
ner,  and  by  much  use  of  that  ornament,  obtained  among 
the  English  the  nickname  of  Jack  of  the  feather. 

This  Nemattanow  coming  to  a  private  settlement  of  one 
Morgan,  who  had  several  toys  which  he  had  a  mind  to, 
persuaded  him  to  go  to  Pamunky  to  dispose  of  them.  He 
gave  him  hopes  what  mighty  bargains  he  might  meet  with 
there,  and  kindly  offered  him  his  assistance.  At  last  Mor 
gan  yielded  to  his  persuasion  ;  but  was  no  more  heard  of ; 
and  it  is  believed,  that  Nemattanow  killed  him  by  the 
way,  and  took  away  his  treasure.  For  within  a  few  days 
this  Nemattanow  returned  to  the  same  house  with  Mor 
gan's  cap  upon  his  head  ;  where  he  found  two  sturdy 
boys,  who  asked  for  their  master.  He  very  frankly  told 
them  he  was  dead.  But  they,  knowing  the  cap  again,  sus- 


42  DEATH    OF    NEMATTANOW. 

peeled  the  villain  had  killed  their  master,  and  would  have 
had  him  before  a  justice  of  peace,  but  he  refused  to  go, 
and  very  insolenlly  abused  them.  Whereupon  they  shot 
him  down,  and  as  they  were  carrying  him  to  the  governor, 
he  died. 

As  he  was  dying,  he  earnestly  pressed  the  boys  to  pro 
mise  him  two  things.  First,  that  they  would  not  tell  how 
he  was  killed  ;  and,  secondly,  that  they  would  bury  him 
among  the  English.  So  great  was  the  pride  of  this  vain 
heathen,  that  he  had  no  other  thoughts  at  his  death,  but 
the  ambition  of  being  esteemed  after  he  was  dead,  as  he 
had  endeavored  to  make  them  believe  of  him  while  he  was 
alive,  viz.,  that  he  was  invulnerable  and  immortal,  though 
his  increasing  faintness  convinced  himself  of  the  falsity  of 
both.  He  imagined,  that  being  buried  among  the  English 
perhaps  might  conceal  his  death  from  his  own  nation,  who 
might  think  him  translated  to  some  happier  country.  Thus 
he  pleased  himself  to  the  last  gasp  with  the  boys'  promises 
to  carry  on  the  delusion.  This  was  reckoned  all  the  pro 
vocation  given  to  that  haughty  and  revengeful  man  Oppe- 
chancanough,  to  act  this  bloody  tragedy,  and  to  take  inde 
fatigable  pains  to  engage  in  so  horrid  villainy  all  the  kings 
and  nations  bordering  upon  the  English  settlements,  on  the 
western  shore  of  Chesapeake. 

§  49.  This  gave  the  English  a  fair  pretence  of  endeavor 
ing  the  total  extirpation  of  the  Indians,  but  more  especially 
of  Oppechancanough  and  his  nation.  Accordingly,  they  set 
themselves  about  it,  making  use  of  the  Roman  maxim, 
(faith  is  not  to  be  kept  with  heretics)  to  obtain  their  ends. 
For,  after  some  months  fruitless  pursuit  of  them,  who  could 
too  dexterously  hide  themselves  in  the  woods,  the  English 
pretended  articles  of  peace,  giving  them  all  manner  of  fail- 
words  and  promises  of  oblivion.  They  designed  thereby  (as 
their  own  letters  now  on  record,  and  their  own  actions 
thereupon  prove)  to  draw  the  Indians  back,  and  entice 
them  to  plant  their  corn  on  their  habitations  nearest  adjoin 
ing  to  the  English,  and  then  to  cut  it  up,  when  the  summer 


MASSACRE    OF    THE    INDIANS.  43 

should  be  too  far  spent  to  leave  them  hopes  of  another  crop 
that  year,  by  which  means  they  proposed  to  bring  them  to 
want  necessaries  and  starve.  And  the  English  did  so  far 
accomplish  their  ends,  as  to  bring  the  Indians  to  plant  their 
corn  at  their  usual  habitations,  whereby  they  gained  an  op 
portunity  of  repaying  them  some  part  of  the  debt  in  their 
own  coin,  for  they  fell  suddenly  upon  them,  cut  to  pieces 
such  of  them  as  could  not  make  their  escape,  and  after 
wards  totally  destroyed  their  corn. 

§50.  Another  effect  of  the  massacre  of  the  English,  was 
the  reducing  all  their  settlements  again  to  six  or  seven  in 
number,  for  their  better  defence.  Besides,  it  was  such  a  dis 
heartening  to  some  '_.,ood  projects,  then  just  advancing,  that 
to  this  day  they  have  never  been  put  in  execution,  namely, 
the  glasshouses  in  Jamestown,  and  the  iron  work  at  Falling 
Creek,  which  has  been  already  mentioned.  The  massacre 
fell  so  "hard  upon  this  last  place,  that  no  soul  was  saved  but 
a  boy  and  a  girl,  who  with  great  difficulty  hid  themselves. 

The  superintendent  of  this  iron  work  had  also  discovered 
a  vein  of  lead  ore,  which  he  kept  private,  and  made  use 
of  it  to  furnish  all  the  neighbors  with  bullets  and  shot.  But 
he  be:ng  cut  off  with  the  rest,  and  the  secret  not  having 
been  communicated,  this  lead  mine  could  never  after  be 
found,  till  Colonel  Byrd,  some  few  years  ago,  prevailed 
with  an  Indian,  under  pretence  of  hunting,  to  give  him  a 
sign  by  dropping  his  tomahawk  at  the  place,  (he  not  daring 
publicly  to  discover  it,  for  fear  of  being  murdered.)  The 
sign  was  accordingly  given,  and  the  company  at  that  time 
found  several  pieces  of  good  lead  ore  upon  the  surface  of 
the  ground,  and  marked  the  trees  thereabouts.  Notwith 
standing  which,  I  know  not  by  what  witchcraft  it  happens, 
but  no  mortal  to  this  day  could  ever  find  that  place  again, 
though  it  be  upon  part  of  the  Colonel's  own  possessions. 
And  so  it  rests,  till  time  and  thicker  settlements  discover  it. 

§51.  Thus,  the  company  of  adventurers  having,  by  those 
frequent  acts  of  mismanagement,  met  with  vast  losses  and 
misfortunes,  many  grew  sick  of  it  and  parted  with  their 


44  MALADMINISTRATION     OF    THE    COMPANY. 

shares,  and  others  came  into  their  places,  and  promoted  the 
sending  in  fresh  recruits  of  men  and  goods.  But  the  chief 
design  of  all  parties  concerned,  was  to  fetch  away  the  trea 
sure  from  thence,  aiming  more  at  sudden  gain,  than  to  form 
any  regular  colony,  or  establish  a  settlement  in  such  a  man 
ner  as  to  make  it  a  lasting  happiness  to  the  country. 

Several  gentlemen  went  over  upon  their  particular  stocks, 
separate  from  that  of  the  company,  with  their  own  servants 
and  goods,  each  designing  to  obtain  land  from  the  govern 
ment,  as  Captain  Newport  had  done,  or  at  least  to  obtain 
patents,  according  to  the  regulations  for  granting  lands  to 
adventurers.  Others  sought  their  grants  of  the  company  in 
London,  and  obtained  authorities  and  jurisdictions,  as  well 
as  land,  distinct  from  the  authority  of  the  government, 
which  was  the  foundation  of  great  disorder,  and  the  occa 
sion  of  their  following  misfortunes.  Among  others,  one 
Captain  Martin,  having  made  very  considerable  preparations 
towards  a  settlement,  obtained  a  suitable  grant  of  land,  and 
was  made  of  the  council  there.  But  he,  grasping  still  at 
more,  hankered  after  dominion,  as  well  as  possession,  and 
caused  so  many  differences,  that  at  last  he  put  all  things 
into  distraction,  insomuch  that  the  Indians,  still  seeking  re 
venge,  took  advantage  of  these  dissensions,  and  fell  foul 
again  on  the  English,  gratifying  their  vengeance  with  new 
bloodshed. 

§  52.  The  fatal  consequences  of  the  company's  malad 
ministration  cried  so  loud,  that  king  Charles  the  first,  com 
ing  to  the  crown  of  England,  had  a  tender  concern  for  the 
poor  people  that  had  been  betrayed  thither  and  lost.  Upon 
which  consideration  he  dissolved  the  company  in  the  year 
1626,  reducing  the  country  and  government  into  his  own 
immediate  direction,  appointing  the  governor  and  council 
himself,  and  ordering  all  patents  and  processes  to  issue  in 
his  own  name,  reserving  to  himself  a  quit-rent  of  two  shil 
lings  for  every  hundred  acres  of  land,  and  so  pro  rato. 


CHAPTER   IV. 


CONTAINING  THE  HISTORY  OF  THE  GOVERNMENT  FROM 
THE  DISSOLUTION  OF  THE  COMPANY  TO  THE  YEAR 
SEVENTEEN  HUNDRED  AND  SEVEN. 

§  53.  The  country  being  thus  taken  into  the  king's  hands, 
his  majesty  was  pleased  to  establish  the  constitution  to  be 
by  a  governor,  council  and  assembly,  and  to  confirm  the 
former  methods  and  jurisdictions  of  the  several  courts,  as 
they  had  been  appointed  in  the  year  1620,  and  placed  the 
last  resort  in  (he  assembly.  He  likewise  confirmed  the 
rules  and  orders  made  by  the  first  assembly  for  apportioning 
the  land,  and  granting  patents  to  particular  adventurers. 

§  54.  This  was  a  constitution  according  to  their  hearts 
desiie,  and  things  seemed  now  to  go  on  in  a  happy  course 
for  encouragement  of  the  colony.  People  flocked  over  thither 
apace  ;  every  one  took  up  land  by  patent  to  his  liking  ;  and, 
not  minding  anything  but  to  be  masters  of  great  tracts  of 
land,  they  planted  themselves  separately  on  their  several 
plantations.  Nor  did  they  fear  the  Indians,  but  kept  them 
at  a  greater  distance  than  formerly.  And  they  for  their  part, 
seeing  the  English  so  sensibly  increase  in  number,  were 
glad  to  keep  their  distance  and  be  peaceable. 

This  liberty  of  taking  up  kind,  and  the  ambition  each 
man  had  of  being  lord  of  a  vast,  though  unimproved  terri 
tory,  together  with  the  advantage  of  the  many  rivers,  which 
afford  a  commodious  road  for  shipping  at  every  man's  door, 
has  made  the  country  fall  into  such  an  unhappy  settlement 
and  course  of  trade,  that  to  this  day  they  have  not  any 
one  place  of  cohabitation  among  them,  that  may  reasonably 
bear  the  name  of  a  town. 


46  THE    MARYLAND    GKANT. 

§55.  The  constitution  being  thus  firmly  established,  and 
continuing  its  course  regularly  for  some  time,  people  began 
to  lay  aside  all  fears  of  any  future  misfortunes.  Several 
gentlemen  of  condition  went  over  with  their  whole  families — 
some  for  bettering  their  estates — others  for  religion,  and 
other  reasons  best  known  to  themselves.  Among  those,  the 
noble  Ca3cilius  Calvert,  Lord  Baltimore,  a  Roman  Catholic, 
thought,  for  the  more  quiet  exercise  of  his  religion,  to 
retire,  with  his  family,  into  that  new  world.  For  this  pur 
pose  he  went  to  Virginia,  to  try  how  he  liked  the  place. 
But  the  people  there  looked  upon  him  with  an  evil  eye  on 
account  of  his  religion,  for  which  alone  he  sought  this  re 
treat,  and  by  their  ill  treatment  discouraged  him  from  set 
tling  in  that  country. 

§  56.  Upon  that  provocation,  his  lordship  resolved  upon 
a  farther  adventure.  And  finding  land  enough  up  the  bay 
of  Chesapeake,  which  was  likewise  blessed  with  many  brave 
rivers,  and  as  yet  altogether  uninhabited  by  the  English,  he 
began  to  think  of  making  a  new  plantation  of  his  own. 
And  for  his  more  certain  direction  in  obtaining  a  grant  of  it, 
he  undertook  a  journey  northwaid,  to  discover  the  land  up 
the  bay,  and  observe  what  might  most  conveniently  square 
with  his  intent. 

His  lordship  finding  all  things  in  this  discovery  according 
to  his  wish,  returned  to  England.  And  because  the  Virginia 
settlements  at  that  time  reached  no  farther  than  the  south 
side  of  Potomac  river,  his  lordship  got  a  grant  of  the 
propriety  cf  Maryland,  bounding  it  to  the  south  by  Poto 
mac  river,  on  the  western  shore  ;  and  by  an  east  line  from 
Point  Lookout,  on  the  eastern  shore  ;  but  died  himself  be 
fore  he  could  embark  for  the  promised  land. 

Maryland  had  the  honor  to  receive  its  name  from  queen 
Mary,  royal  consort  to  king  Charles  the  first. 

§  57.  The  old  Lord  Baltimore  being  thus  taken  off,  and 
leaving  his  designs  unfinished,  his  son  and  heir,  in  the  year 
1633,  obtained  a  confirmation  of  the  patent  to  himself,  and 
went  over  in  person  to  plant  his  new  colony. 


SIR   JOHN    HARVEY,    GOVERNOR.  47 

By  tliis  unhappy  accident,  a  country  which  nature  had  so 
well  contrived  for  one,  became  two  separate  governments. 
This  produced  a  most  unhappy  inconvenience  to  both  ;  for, 
these  two  being  the  only  countries  under  the  dominion  of 
England  that  plant  tobacco  in  any  quantity,  the  ill  conse 
quences  to  both  is,  that  when  one  colony  goes  about  to 
prohibit  the  trash,  or  mend  the  staple  of  that  commodity, 
to  help  the  market,  then  the  other,  to  take  advantage  of  that 
market,  pours  into  England  all  they  can  make,  both  good 
and  bad,  without  distinction.  This  is  very  injurious  to  the 
other  colony,  which  had  voluntarily  suffered  so  great  a 
diminution  in  the  quantity,  to  mend  the  quality  ;  and  this 
is  notoriously  manifested  from  that  incomparable  Virginia 
law,  appointing  sworn  agents  to  examine  their  tobacco. 

§  58.  Neither  was  this  all  the  mischief  that  happened  to 
Virginia  upon  this  grant ;  for  the  example  of  it  had  dread 
ful  consequences,  and  was  in  the  end  one  of  the  occasions 
of  another  massacre  by  the  Indians.  For  this  precedent  of 
my  Lord  Baltimore's  grant,  which  entrenched  upon  the 
charters  and  bounds  of  Viiginia,  was  hint  enough  for  other 
courtiers,  (who  never  intended  a  settlement  as  my  lord  did) 
to  find  out  something  of  the  same  kind  to  make  money  of. 
This  was  the  occasion  of  several  very  large  defalcations  from 
Virginia  within  a  few  years  afterwards,  which  was  forwarded 
and  assisted  by  the  contrivance  of  the  Governor,  Sir  John 
Harvey,  insomuch  that  not  only  the  land  itself,  quit-rents 
and  all,  but  the  authorities  and  jurisdictions  that  belonged 
to  that  colony  were  given  away — nay,  sometimes  in  those 
grants  he  included  the  very  settlements  that  had  been  before 
made. 

§  59.  As  this  gentleman  was  irregular  in  this,  so  he  was 
very  unjust  and  arbitrary  in  his  other  methods  of  govern 
ment.  He  exacted  with  rigor  the  fines  and  penalties,,  which 
the  unwary  assemblies  of  those  times  had  given  chiefly  to 
himself,  and  was  so  haughty  and  furious  to  the  council, 
and  the  best  gentlemen  of « the  country,  that  his  tyranny 
grew  at  last  insupportable  j  so  that  in  the  year  1639,  the 


4S  SIR    WILLIAM    BERKELEY    APPOINTED    GOVERNOR. 

council  sent  him  a  prisoner  to  London,  and  with  him  two 
of  their  number,  to  maintain  the  articles  against  him.  This 
news  being  brought  to  king  Charles  the  first,  his  majesty 
was  very  much  displeased  ;  and,  without  hearing  anything, 
caused  him  to  return  governor  again.  But  by  the  next 
shipping  he  was  graciously  pleased  to  change  him,  and  so 
made  amends  for  this  man's  maladministration,  by  sending 
the  good  and  just  Sir  William  Berkeley  to  succeed  him. 

§  60.  While  these  things  were  transacting,  theie  was  so 
general  a  dissatisfaction,  occasioned  by  the  oppressions  of  Sir 
John  Harvey,  and  the  difficulties  in  getting  him  out,  that 
the  whole  colony  was  in  confusion.  The  subtle  Indians, 
who  took  all  advantages,  resented  the  incroachments  upon 
them  by  his  grants.  They  saw  the  English  uneasy  and  dis 
united  among  themselves,  and  by  the  direction  of  Oppechan- 
canough,  their  king,  laid  the  ground  work  of  another  mas 
sacre,  wherein,  by  surprise,  they  cut  off  near  five  hundred 
Christians  more.  But  this  execution  did  not  take  so  general 
effect  as  formerly,  because  the  Indians  were  not  so  fre 
quently  suffered  to  come  among  the  inner  habitations  of  the 
English  ;  and,  therefore,  the  massacre  fell  severest  on  the 
south  side  of  James  river,  and  on  the  heads  of  the  other 
rivers,  but  chiefly  of  York  river,  where  this  Oppechanca- 
nough  kept  the  seat  of  his  government. 

§  61.  Oppechancanough  was  a  man  *of  large  stature, 
noble  presence,  and  extraordinary  parts.  Though  he  had 
no  advantage  of  literature,  '(that  being  nowhere  to  be  found 
among  the  American  Indians)  yet  he  was  perfectly  skilled 
in  the  art  of  governing  his  rude  countrymen.  He  caused 
all  the  Indians  far  and  near  to  dread  his  name,  and  had 
them  all  entirely  in  subjection. 

This  king  in  Smith's  history  is  called  brother  to  Powha- 
tan,  but  by. the  Indians  he  was  not  so  esteemed.  For  they 
say  he  was  a  prince  of  a  foreign  nation,  and  came  to  them 
a  great  way  from  the  south  west.  And  by  their  accounts, 
we  suppose  him  to  have  come*  from  the  Spanish  Indians, 
somewhere  near  Mexico,  or  the  mines  of  Saint  Barbe  ;  but, 


CAPTURE    OF    OPPECI1ANCANOUGH.  49 

be  that  matter  how  it  will,  from  that  time  till  his  captivity, 
there  never  was  the  least  truce  between  them  and  the 
English. 

§  62.  Sir  William  Berkeley,  upon  his  arrival,  showed  such 
an  opposition  to  the  unjust  grants  made  by  Sir  John  Harvey, 
(hat  very  few  of  them  took  effect  ;  and  such  as  did,  were 
subjected  to  the  settled  conditions  of  the  other  parts  of  the 
government,  and  made  liable  to  the  payment  of  the  full 
quit-rents.  He  encouraged  the  country  in  several  essays  of 
potash,  soap,  salt,  flax,  hemp,  silk  and  cotton.  But  the 
Indian  war,  ensuing  upon  this  last  massacre,  was  a  great 
obstruction  to  these  good  designs,  by  requiring  all  the  spare 
men  to  be  employed  in  defence  of  the  country. 

§  63.  Oppechancanough,  by  his  great  age,  and  the  fatigues 
of  war,  (in  which  Sir  William  Berkeley  followed  him  close) 
was  now  grown  so  decrepid,  that  he  was  not  able  to  walk 
alone,  but  was  carried  about  by  his  men  wherever  he  had 
a  mind  to  move.  His  flesh  was  all  macerated,  his  sinews 
slackened,  and  his  eyelids  became  so  heavy,  that  he  could 
not  see,  but  as  they  were  lifted  up  by  his  servants.  In 
this  low  condition  he  was,  when  Sir  William  Berkeley, 
hearing  that  he  was  at  some  distance  from  his  usual  habi 
tation,  resolved  at  all  adventures  to  seize  his  person,  which 
he  happily  effected.  For  with  a  party  of  horse  he  made  a 
speedy  march,  surprised  him  in  his  quarters,  and  brought 
him  prisoner  to  Jamestown,  where,  by  the  governor's  com 
mand,  he  was  treated  with  all  the  respect  and  tenderness 
imaginable.  Sir  William  had  a  mind  to  send  him  to  Eng 
land,  hoping  to  get  reputation  by  presenting  his  majesty 
with  a  royal  captive,  who  at  his  pleasure,  could  call  into 
the  field  ten  times  more  Indians,  than  Sir  William  Berkeley 
had  English  in  his  whole  government.  Besides,  he  thought 
this  ancient  prince  would  be  an  instance  of  the  healthiness 
and  long  life  cf  the  natives  of  that  country.  However, 
he  could  not  preserve  his  life  above  a  fortnight.  For  one 
of  the  soldiers,  resenting  the  calamities  the  colony  had  suf- 


50  NEW    PEACE    -WITH    THE    INDIANS. 

fered  by  this  prince's  means,  basely  shot  him  through  the 
back,  after  he  was  made  prisoner  ;  of  which  wound  he 
died. 

He  continued  brave  to  the  last  moment  of  his  life,  and 
showed  not  the  least  dejection  at  his  captivity.  He  heard 
one  day  a  great  noise  of  the  treading  of  people  about  him  ; 
upon  which  he  caused  his  eyelids  to  be  lifted  up,  and  find 
ing  that  a  crowd  of  people  were  let  in  "to  see  him,  he  called 
in  high  indignation  for  the  governor,  who  being  come,  Oppe- 
chancanough  scornfully  told  him,  that  had  it  been  his  for 
tune  to  take  Sir  William  Berkeley  prisoner,  he  should  not. 
meanly  have  exposed  him  as  a  show  to  the  people. 

§  64.  After  this,  Sir  William  Berkeley  made  a  new  peace 
with  the  Indians,  which  continued  for  a  long  time  unviola- 
ted,  insomuch  that  all  the  thoughts  of  future  injury  from 
them  were  laid  aside.  But  he  himself  did  not  long  enjoy 
the  benefit  of  this  profound  peace ;  for  the  unhappy 
troubles  of  king  Charles  the  first  increasing  in  England, 
proved  a  great  disturbance  to  him  and  to  all  the  people. 
They,  to  prevent  the  infection  from  reaching  that  country, 
made  severe  laws  against  the  Puritans,  though  there  were 
as  yet  none  among  them.  But  all  correspondence  with 
England  was  interrupted,  supplies  lessened,  and  trade 
obstructed.  In  a  word,  all  people  were  impatient  to  know 
what  would  be  the  event  of  so  much  confusion. 

§65.  At  last  the  king  was  traitorously  beheaded  in  Eng 
land,  and  Oliver  installed  Protector.  However  his  author 
ity  was  not  acknowledged  in  Virginia  for  several  years  after, 
till  they  were  forced  to  it  by  the  last  necessity.  For  in  the 
year  1651,  by  Cromwell's  command,  Captain  Dennis,  with 
a  squadron  of  men  of  war,  arrived  there  from  the  Carribbee 
islands,  where  they  had  been  subduing  Bardoes.  The 
country  at  first  held  out  vigorously  against  him,  and  Sir 
William  Berkeley,  by  the  assistance  of  such  Dutch  vessels 
as  were  then  there,  made  a  brave  resistance.  But  at  last 
Dennis  contrived  a  stratagem,  which  betrayed  the  country. 
He  had  got  a  considerable  parcel  of  goods  aboard,  which 


SUBJECTION    OF   THE    COLONY    TO    CROMWELL.  51 

belonged  to  two  of  the  Council,  and  found  a  method  of  in 
forming  them  of  it.  By  this  means  they  were  reduced  to 
the  dilemma,  either  of  submitting  or  losing  their  goods. 
This  occasioned  factions  among  them  ;  so  that  at  last,  after 
the  surrender  of  all  the  other  English  plantations,  Sir  Wm. 
was  forced  to  submit  to  the  usurper  on  the  terms  of  a  gen 
eral  pardon.  However,  it  ought  to  be  remembered,  to  his 
praise,  and  to  the  immortal  honor  of  that  colony,  that  it 
was  the  last  of  all  the  king's  dominions  that  submitted  to 
the  usurpation  ;  and  afterwards  the  first  that  cast  it  off,  and 
he  never  took  any  post  or  office  under  the  usurper. 

§66.  Oliver  had  no  sooner  subdued  the  plantations,  but 
he  began  to  contrive  how  to  keep  them  under,  that  so  they 
might  never  be  able  for  the  time  to  come  to  give  him 
farther  trouble.  To  this  end,  he  thought  it  necessary  to 
break  off  their  correspondence  with  all  other  nations,  thereby 
to  prevent  their  being  furnished  with  arms,  ammunition,  and 
other  warlike  provisions.  According  to  this  design,  he  con 
trived  a  severe  act  of  Parliament,  whereby  he  prohibited  the 
plantations  from  receiving  or  exporting  any  European  com 
modities,  but  what  should  be  carried  to  them  by  English 
men,  and  in  English  built  ships.  They  were  absolutely 
forbid  corresponding  with  any  nation  or  colony  not  subject 
to  the  crown  of  England.  Neither  was  any  alien  suffered 
to  manage  a  trade  or  factory  in  any  of  them.  In  all  which 
things  the  plantations  had  been  till  then  indulged,  for  their 
encouragement. 

§  67.  Notwithstanding  this  act  of  navigation,  the  Protector 
never  thought  the  plantations  enough  secured,  but  frequently 
changed  their  governors,  to  prevent  their  intriguing  with  the 
people.  So  that,  during  the  time  of  the  usurpation,  they 
had  no  less  than  three  governors  there,  namely,  Diggs,  Ben- 
net  and  Mathews. 

§  68.  The  strange  arbitrary  curbs  he  put  upon  the  plan 
tations,  exceedingly  afflicted  the  people.  He  had  the  inhu 
manity  to  forbid  them  all  manner  of  trade  and  correspon 
dence  with  other  nations,  at  a  time  when  England  itself 


52       SIR    WILLIAM    BERKELEY    CHOSEN    GOVERNOR  AGAIN. 

was  in  distraction  •  and  could  neither  take  off  their  com 
modities,  nor  supply  them  sufficiently  with  its  own.  Neither 
had  they  ever  been  used  to  supply  them  with  half  the 
commodities  they  expended,  or  to  take  off  ahove  half  the 
tobacco  they  made.  Such  violent  proceedings  made  the  peo 
ple  desperate,  and  inspired  them  with  a  desire  to  use  the 
last  remedy,  to  relieve  themselves  from  this  lawless  usurpa 
tion.  In  a  short  time  afterwards  a  fair  opportunity  happened  ; 
for  <xovemor  Mathews  died,  and  no  person  was  substituted 
to  succeed  him  in  the  government.  Whereupon  the  people 
applied  themselves  to  Sir  William  Berkeley,  (who  had  con 
tinued  all  this  time  upon  his  own  plantation  in  a  private 
capacity,)  and  unanimously  chose  him  their  governor  again. 

§  69.  Sir  William  Berkeley  had  all  along  retained  an  un 
shaken  loyalty  for  the  royal  family,  and  therefore  generously 
told  the  people,  that  he  could  not  approve  of  the  Protector's 
rule,  and  was  resolved  never  to  serve  anybody  but  the  law 
ful  heir  to  the  crown  ;  and  that  if  he  accepted  the  govern 
ment,  it  should  be  upon  their  solemn  promise,  after  his 
example,  to  venture  their  lives  and  fortunes  for  the  king, 
who  was  then  in  France. 

This  was  no  great  obstacle  to  them,  and  therefore  with 
an  unanimous  voice  they  told  him  that  they  were  ready  to 
hazard  all  for  the  king.  Now  this  was  actually  before  the 
king's  return  for  England,  and  proceeded  from  a  brave  prin 
ciple  of  loyalty,  for  which  they  had  no  example.  Sir  William 
Berkeley  embraced  their  choice,  and  forthwith  proclaimed 
Charles  the  second  king  of  England,  Scotland,  France, 
Ireland  and  Virginia,  and  caused  all  process  to  be  issued 
in  his  name.  Thus  his  majesty  was  actually  king  in  Vir 
ginia,  before  he  was  so  in  England.  But  it  pleased  God  to 
restore  him  soon  after  to  the  throne  of  his  ancestors  ;  and 
so  that  country  escaped  being  chastised  for  throwing  off  the 
usurpation. 

§70.  Upon  the  king's  restoration,  he  sent  Sir  William 
Berkeley  a  new  commission,  with  leave  to  return  to  Eng 
land,  and  power  to  appoint  a  deputy  in  his  absence.  For 


53 


his  majesty  in  his  exile  had  received  intelligence  of  this 
gentleman's  loyalty,  and  during  that  time  had  renewed  his 
commission. 

§71.  Upon  this,  Sir  William  Berkeley  appointed  Colonel 
Francis  Morrison  Deputy  Governor,  and  went  for  England 
to  wait  on  his  majesty,  by  whom  he  was  kindly  received. 
At  his  return  he  carried  his  majesty's  pressing  instructions 
for  encouraging  the  people  in  husbandry  and  manufactures, 
but  more  especially  to  promote  silk  and  vineyards.  There 
is  a  tradition,  that  the  king,  in  compliment  to  that  colony, 
wore  at  his  coronation  a  robe  made  of  the  silk  that  was 
sent  from  thence.  But  this  was  all  the  reward  the  country 
had  for  their  loyalty  ;  for  the  Parliament  was  pleased  to 
renew  the  act  contrived  by  the  usurper  for  discouraging  the 
plantations,  with  severer  restraints  and  prohibitions  by  bonds, 
securities,  &c. 

§  72.  During  the  time  of  Sir  William  Berkeley's  absence, 
Colonel  Morrison  had,  according  to  his  directions,  revised 
the  laws,  and  compiled  them  into  one  body,  ready  to  be 
confirmed  by  the  assembly  at  his  return.  By  these  laws,  the 
church  of  England  was  confirmed  the  established  religion, 
the  charge  of  the  government  sustained,  trade  and  manu 
factures  were  encouraged,  a  town  projected,  and  all  the 
Indian  affairs  settled. 

§  73.  The  parishes  were  likewise  regulated,  competent 
allowances  were  made  to  the  ministers,  to  the  value  of 
about  fourscore  pounds  a  year,  besides  glebes  and  perqui 
sites,  and  the  method  of  their  preferment  was  settled.  Con 
venient  churches  and  glebes  were  provided,  and  all  necessary 
parish  officers  instituted.  Some  steps  were  made  also  towards 
a  free  school  and  college,  and  the  poor  were  effectually 
provided  for. 

§  74.  For  support  of  the  government,  the  duty  of  two 
shillings  per  hogshead  on  all  tobaccos,  and  that  of  one 
shilling  per  ton  port  duty  on  shipping,  were  made  per 
petual  5  and  the  collectors  were  obliged  to  account  for  the 
same  to  the  general  assembly. 


54  PROSPERITY    OF   THE    COLOi\7Y. 

§  75.  For  encouragement,  of  manufactures,  prizes  were  ap 
pointed  for  the  makers  of  the  best  pieces  of  linen  cloth, 
and  a  reward  of  fifty  pounds  of  tobacco  was  given  for  each 
pound  of  silk.  All  persons  were  enjoined  to  plant  mul 
berry  trees,  for  the  food  of  the  silk  worm,  according  to  the 
number  of  acres  of  land  they  held.  Tan  houses  were  set 
up  in  each  county,  at  the  county  charge  ;  and  public  en 
couragement  was  given  to  a  salt  work  on  the  eastern  shore. 
A  reward  was  appointed  in  proportion  to  the  tonnage  of  all 
sea  vessels  built  there,  and  an  exemption  allowed  from  all 
fees  and  duties  payable  by  such  shipping. 

§76.  The  king  had  commanded,  that  all  ships  trading  to 
Virginia  should  go  to  Jamestown,  and  there  enter  before 
they  broke  bulk.  But  the  assembly,  from  the  impractica- 
bleness  of  that  command,  excused  all,  except  the  James 
river  ships,  from  that  order,  and  left  the  others  in  the  rivers 
they  were  bouVid  to,  to  ride  dispersed,  as  the  commanders 
pleased ;  by  whose  example  the  James  river  ships  were  no 
sooner  entered  with  the  officer  at  Jamestown,  but  they  also 
dispersed  themselves  to  unload,  and  trade  all  over  the  river. 
By  this  means  the  design  of  towns  was  totally  balked,  and 
this  oider  proved  only  an  ease  to  the  officer  of  James  river, 
and  a  means  of  creating  a  good  place  to  him. 

§  77.  Peace  and  commerce  with  the  Indians  was  settled 
by  law,  and  their  boundaries  prescribed.  Several  other  acts 
were  made  suiting  the  necessity  of  the  government ;  so  that 
nothing  then  seemed  to  remain,  but  the  improvement  of  the 
country,  and  encouragement  of  those  manufactures  the  king 
had  been  pleased  to  recommend,  together  with  such  others 
as  should  be  found  beneficial. 

§  78.  Sir  William  Berkeley  at  his  return  gave  sanction  to 
this  body  of  laws,  and  being  then  again  in  full  possession 
of  his  government,  and  at  perfect  peace  with  the  Indians, 
set  all  hands  industriously  to  work  in  making  country  im 
provements.  He  passed  a  new  act  for  encouragement  of 
Jamestown,  whereby  several  houses  were  built  therein,  at, 
the  charge  of  several  counties.  However,  the  main  ingre- 


PERSECUTION  OP  THE  SECTARIES.  55 

client  for  the  advancement  of  towns  was  still  wanting, 
namely,  the  confinement  of  all  shipping  and  trade  to  them 
only,  by  defect  of  which  all  the  other  expedients  availed 
nothing,  for  most  of  the  buildings  were  soon  converted  into 
houses  of  entertainment. 

§  79.  Anno  1663,  divers  sectaries  in  religion  beginning 
lo  spread  themselves  there,  great  restraints  were  laid  upon 
them,  under  severe  penalties,  to  prevent  their  increase. 

This  made  many  of  them  fly  to  other  colonies,  and  pre 
vented  abundance  of  others  from  going  over  to  seat  them 
selves  among  them.  And  as  the  former  ill  treatment  of  my 
Lord  Baltimore  kept  many  people  away,  and -drove  others 
to  Maryland,  so  the  present  severities  towards  the  noncon 
formists  kept  off  many  more,  who  went  to  the  neighbor 
ing  colonies. 

§  80.  The  rigorous  circumscription  of  their  trade,  the 
persecutions  of  the  sectaries,  and  the  little  demand  of  tobacco, 
had  like  to  have  had  very  fatal  consequences.  For,  the 
poor  people  becoming  thereby  very  uneasy,  their  murmurings 
were  watched  and  fed  by  several  mutinous  and  rebellious 
Oliverian  soldiers  that  were  sent  thither  as  servants.  These, 
depending  upon  the  discontented  people  of  all  sorts,  formed 
a  villainous  plot  to  destroy  their  masters,  and  afterwards  to 
set  up  for  themselves. 

This  plot  was  brought  so  near  to  perfection,  that  it  was 
the  very  night  before  the  designed  execution  ere  it  was 
discovered  ;  and  then  it  came  out  by  the  relenting  of  one 
of  their  accomplices,  whose  name  was  Birkenhead.  Tiiis 
man  was  servant  to  Mr.  Smith  of  Purton,  in  Gloucester 
county,  near  which  place,  viz.  at  Poplar  Spring,  the  mis 
creants  were  to  meet  the  night  following,  and  put  in  exe 
cution  their  horrid  conspiracy. 

§  81.  Upon  this  discovery  by  Birkenhead,  notice  was  im 
mediately  sent  to  the  governor  at  Green  Spring.  And  the 
method  he  took  to  prevent  it  was  by  private  orders,  that 
some  of  the  militia  should  meet  before  the  time  at  the  place 
where  the  conspirators  were  to  rendezvous,  and  seize  them 


56  NEW    ACT    OF    PARLIAMENT. 

as  they  came  singly  up  to  it.  Which  orders  being  happily 
executed,  their  devilish  plot  was  defeated.  However,  there 
were  but  a  few  taken  5  because  several  of  them  making 
their  escape,  turned  back  such  of  their  fellows  as  they  met 
on  the  road,  and  prevented  most  of  them  from  coming  up, 
or  from  being  discovered. 

Four  of  these  rogues  were  hanged.  But  Birkenhead  was 
gratified  with  his  freedom,  and  a  reward  of  two  hundred 
pounds  sterling. 

§  82.  For  the  discovery  and  happy  disappointment  of  this 
plot,  an  anniversary  thanksgiving  was  appointed  on  the  13th 
of  September,  the  day  it  was  to  have  been  put  in  execution. 
And  it  is  great  pity  some  other  days  are  not  commemorated 
as  well  as  that. 

§  83.  The  news  of  this  plot  being  transmitted  to  king 
Charles  the  second,  his  majesty  sent  his  royal  commands  to 
build  a  fort  at  Jamestown,  for  security  of  the  governor,  and 
to  be  a  curb  upon  all  such  traitorous  attempts  for  the  future. 
But  the  country,  thinking  the  danger  over,  only  raised  a 
battery  of  some  small  pieces  of  cannon. 

§84.  Another  misfortune  happened  to  the  plantations  this 
year,  which  was  a  new  act  of  parliament  in  England,  laying 
a  severer  restraint  upon  their  supplies  than  formerly.  By 
this  act  they  could  have  no  foreign  goods,  which  were  not 
first  landed  in  England,  and  carried  directly  from  thence  to 
the  plantations,  the  former  restraint  of  importing  them  only 
by  Englishmen,  in  English  built  shipping,  not  being  thought 
sufficient. 

This  was  a  misfortune  that  cut  with  a  double  edge  ;  for, 
first,  it  reduced  their  staple  tobacco  to  a  very  low  price  ; 
and,  secondly,  it  raised  the  value  of  European  goods  to 
what  the  merchants  pleased  to  put  upon  them. 

§85.  For  this  their  assembly  could  think  of  no  remedy, 
but  to  be  even  with  the  merchants,  and  make  their  tobacco 
scarce  by  prohibiting  the  planting  of  it  for  one  year  ;  and 
during  that  idle  year  to  invite  the  people  to  enter  upon 
manufacturing  flax  and  hemp.  But  Maryland  not  concur- 


EFFECTS  OF  THE  NEW  ACT  OF  PARLIAMENT.      Oi 

ring  in  this  project,  they  were  obliged  in  their  own  defence 
to  repeal  the  act  of  assembly  again,  and  return  to  their 
old  drudgery  of  planting  tobacco  without  profiting  by  it. 

§86.  The  country  thus  missed  of  their  remedy  in  the 
stint  of  tobacco,  which  on  the  contrary  multiplied  exceed 
ingly  by  the  great  increase  of  servants.  This,  together  with 
the  above  mentioned  curbs  on  trade,  exasperated  the  people, 
because  now  they  found  themselves  under  a  necessity  of 
exchanging  their  commodities  with  the  merchants  of  England 
at  their  own  terms.  The  assembly  therefore  again  attempted 
the  stint  of  tobacco,  and  passed  another  act  against  planting 
it  for  one  year.  And  Carolina  and  Maryland  both  agreed 
to  it.  But  some  accident  hindering  the  agent  of  Carolina 
from  giving  notice  thereof  to  Maryland  by  the  day  appointed, 
the  governor  of  that  province  proclaimed  the  act  void,  al 
though  every  body  there  knew  that  Carolina  had  fully  agreed 
to  all  things  required  of  them.  But  he  took  advantage  of 
this  nice  punctilio,  because  of  the  loss  such  a  diminution 
would  have  been  to  his  annual  income,  and  so  all  people 
relapsed  again  into  the  disease  of  planting  tobacco. 

Virginia  was  more  nettled  at  this  ill  usage  from  Maryland, 
than  at  her  former  absolute  denial  ;  but  were  forced  to  take 
all  patiently,  and  by  fair  means  get  relief,  if  they  could. 
They  therefore  appointed  agents  to  reassume  the  treaty,  and 
submitted  so  low  as  to  send  them  to  Saint  Mary's,  then 
the  residence  of  the  governor  of  Maryland,  and  the  place 
where  the  assemblies  met.  Yet  all  this  condescension  could 
not  hold  them  to  their  bargain.  The  governor  said  he  had 
observed  his  part  of  the  agreement,  and  would  not  call  an 
assembly  any  more  upon  that  subject. 

§  87.  In  this  manner  two  whole  years  were  spent,  and 
nothing  could  be  accomplished  for  their  relief.  In  the  mean 
while  England  was  studious  to  prevent  their  receiving  sup 
plies  from  any  other  country.  To  do  that  more  effectually, 
it  was  thought  expedient  to  confine  the  trade  of  that  colony 
to  one  place.  But  that  not  being  found  practicable,  because 
of  the  many  great  "rivers  that  divide  their  habitations,  and 

8 


58         PLAGUE  AND  FIRE  IN  LONDON,  1665-6. 

the  extraordinary  conveniences  of  each,  his  majesty  sent 
directions  to  build  forts  in  the  several  rivers,  and  enjoined 
all  the  ships  to  ride  under  those  forts  ;  and  farther  ordered, 
that  those  places  only  should  be  the  ports  of  trade. 

§  88.  This  instruction  was  punctually  observed  for  a  year, 
and  preparations  were  made  for  ports,  by  casting  up  breast 
works  in  such  places  as  the  assembly  appointed,  and  the 
shipping  did  for  that  time  ride  at  those  places.  But  the 
great  fire  and  plague  happening  in  London  immediately 
upon  it,  made  their  supplies  that  year  very  uncertain,  and 
the  terror  the  people  were  in,  lest  the  plague  should  be 
brought  over  with  the  ships  from  London,  prevented  them 
from  residing  at  those  por(s,  for  fear  of  being  all  swept 
away  at  once.  And  so  every  body  was  left  at  liberty  again. 

§  89.  Still  no  favor  could  be  obtained  for  the  tobacco 
trade,  and  the  English  merchants  afforded  but  a  bare  sup 
port  of  clothing  for  their  crops.  The  assembly  were  full 
enough  of  resentment,  but  overlooked  their  right  way  of  re 
dress.  All  they  could  do  was  to  cause  looms  and  work 
houses  to  be  set  up  in  the  several  counties,  at  the  county 
charge.  They  renewed  the  rewards  of  silk,  and  put  great 
penalties  upon  every  neglect  of  making  flax  and  hemp. 
About  this  time  they  sustained  some  damage  by  the  Dutch 
war  ;  for  which  reason  they  ordered  ths  forts  to  be  rebuilt 
of  brick.  But  having  yet  no  true  notion  of  the  advantage 
of  towns,  they  did  not  oblige  the  ships  to  ride  under  them. 
Which  thing  alone,  well  executed,  would  have  answered 
all  their  desires. 

§  90.  Sir  William  Berkeley,  who  was  always  contriving  and 
industrious  for  the  good  of  the  country,  was  not  contented 
to  set  a  useful  example  at  home,  by  the  essays  he  made  of 
potash,  flax,  hemp,  silk,  (fee.,  but  was  also  resolved  to  make 
new  discoveries  abroad  amongst  the  Indians. 

For  this  end  he  employed  a  small  company  of  about 
fourteen  English,  and  as  many  Indians,  under  the  com 
mand  of  Captain  Henry  Batt,  to  go  upon  such  an  adventure. 
They  set  out  together  from  Appomattox,  and  in  seven  days' 


CAPTAIN  BATT'S  EXPEDITION.  59 

march  reached  the  foot  of  the  mountains.  The  mountains 
they  first  arrived  at,  were  not  extraordinary  high  or  steep  ; 
but,  after  they  had  passed  the  first  ridge,  they  encountered 
others  that  seemed  to  reach  the  clouds,  and  were  so  perpen 
dicular  and  full  of  precipices,  that  sometimes  in  a  whole 
day's  march,  they  could  not  travel  three  miles  in  a  direct 
line.  In  other  places  they  found  large  level  plains  and  fine 
savannas,  three  or  four  miles  wide,  in  which  were  an 
infinite  quantity  of  turkies,  deer,  elks  and  buffaloes,  so  gen 
tle  and  undisturbed  that  they  had  no  fear  at  the  appearance 
of  the  men,  but  would  suffer  them  to  come  almost  within 
reach  of  their  hands.  There  they  also  found  grapes  so  pro 
digiously  large,  that  they  seemed  more  like  bullace  than 
grapes.  When  they  traversed  these  mountains,  they  came 
to  a  fine  level  country  again,  and  discovered  a  rivulet  that 
descended  backwards.  Down  that  stream  they  travelled  sev 
eral  days,  till  they  came  to  old  fields  and  cabins,  where  the 
Indians  had  lately  been,  but  were  supposed  to  have  fled  at 
the  approach  of  Bait  and  his  company.  However,  the  cap 
tain  followed  the  old  rule  of  leaving  some  toys  in  their 
cabins  for  them  to  find  at  their  return,  by  which  they  might 
know  they  were  friends.  Near  to  these  cabins  were  great 
marshes,  where  (he  Indians  which  Captain  Batt  had  with 
him  made  a  halt,  and  would  positively  proceed  no  farther. 
They  said,  that  not  far  off  from  that  place  lived  a  nation 
of  Indians,  that  made  salt,  and  sold  it  to  their  neighbors. 
That  this  was  a  great  and  powerful  people,  which  never 
suffered  any  strangers  to  return  that  had  once  discovered  their 
towns.  Captain  Batt  used  all  the  arguments  he  could  to 
get  them  forward,  but  in  vain.  And  so,  to  please  those  tim 
orous  Indians,  the  hopes  of  this  discovery  were  frustrated, 
and  the  detachment  was  forced  to  return.  '  In  this  journey 
it  is  supposed  that  Batt  never  crossed  the  great  ridge  of 
mountains,  but  kept  up  under  it  to  the  southward.  For  of 
late  years  the  Indian  traders  have  discovered,  on  this  side 
the  mountains,  about  five  hundred  miles  to  the  southward, 
a  river  they  call  Oukfuskie,  full  of  broad  sunken  grounds 


60  BACON'S  REBELLION,  1676. 

and  marshes,  but  falling  into  the  bay  or  great  gulf  between 
cape  Florida  and  the  mouth  of  the  Mississippi,  which  I 
suppose  to  be  the  river  where  Batt  saw  the  Indian  cabins 
and  marshes,  but  is  gone  to  from  Virginia  without  ever  pierc 
ing  the  high  mountains,  and  only  encountering  the  point  of 
an  elbow,  which  they  make  a  little  to  the  southward  of 
Virginia. 

§91.  Upon  Captain  Batt's  report  to  Sir  William  Berke 
ley,  he  resolved  to  make  a  journey  himself,  that  so  theie 
might  be  no  hinderance  for  want  of  sufficient  authority,  as 
had  been  in  the  aforesaid  expedition.  To  this  end  he  con 
certed  matters  for  it,  and  had  pitched  upon  his  deputy  gov 
ernor.  The  assembly  also  made  an  act  to  encourage  it. 
But  all  these  preparations  came  to  nothing,  by  the  confusion 
which  happened  there  soon  after  by  Bacon's  rebellion.  And 
since  that,  there  has  never  been  any  such  discovery  attempted 
from  Virginia,  when  Governor  Spotswood  found  a  passage 
over  the  great  ridge  of  mountains,  and  went  over  them 
himself. 

§92.  The  occasion  of  this  rebellion  is  not  easy  to  be 
discovered  :  but  'tis  certain  there  were  many  things  that 
concurred  towards  it.  For  it  cannot  be  imagined,  that  upon 
the  instigation  of  two  or  three  traders  only,  who  aimed  at 
a  monopoly  of  the  Indian  trade,  as  some  pretend  to  say, 
the  whole  country  would  have  fallen  into  so  much  distrac 
tion  ;  in  which  people  did  not  only  hazard  their  necks  by 
rebellion,  but  endeavored  to  ruin  a  governor,  whom  they 
all  entirely  loved,  and  had  unanimously  chosen  ;  a  gentle 
man  who  had  devoted  his  whole  life  and  estate  to  the  ser 
vice  of  the  country,  and  against  whom  in  thirty-five  years 
experience  there  had  never  been  one  single  complaint. 
Neither  can  it  be  supposed,  that  upon  so  slight  grounds, 
they  would  make  choice  of  a  leader  they  hardly  knew,  to 
oppose  a  gentleman  that  had  been  so  long  and  so  deserv 
edly  the  darling  of  the  people.  So  that  in  all  probability 
there  was  something  else  in  the  wind,  without  which  the 
body  of  the  country  had  never  been  engaged  in  that  insur 
rection. 


61 


Four  things  may  be  reckoned  to  have  been  the  main  in 
gredients  towards  this  intestine  commotion,  viz..  First,  The 
extreme  low  price  of  tobacco,  and  the  ill  usage  of  the  plan 
ters  in  the  exchange  of  goods  for  it,  which  the  country, 
with  all  their  earnest  endeavors,  could  not  remedy.  Se 
condly,  The  splitting  the  colony  into  proprieties,  contrary 
to  the  original  charters  ;  and  the  extravagant  taxes  they 
were  forced  to  undergo,  to  relieve  themselves  from  those 
grants.  Thirdly,  The  heavy  restraints  and  burdens  laid 
upon  their  trade  by  act  of  Parliament  in  England.  Fourth 
ly,  The  disturbance  given  by  the  Indians.  Of  all  which 
in  their  order. 

§93.  First,  Of  the  low  price  of  tobacco,  and  the  disap 
pointment  of  all  sort  of  remedy,  I  have  spoken  sufficiently 
before.  Secondly,  Of  splitting  the  country  into  proprieties. 

King  Charles  the  Second,  to  gratify  some  nobles  about 
him,  made  two  great  grants  out  of  that  country.  These 
grants  were  not  of  the  uncultivated  wood  land  only,  but 
also  of  plantations,  which  for  many  years  had  been  seated 
and  improved,  under  the  encouragement  of  several  charters 
granted  by  his  royal  ancestors  to  that  colony.  Those  grants 
were  distinguished  by  the  names  of  the  Northern  and  South 
ern  grants  of  Virginia,  and  the  same  men  were  concerned 
in  both.  They  were  kept  dormant  some  years  after  they 
were  made,  and  in  the  year  1674  begun  to  be  put  in  exe 
cution.  As  soon  as  ever  the  country  came  to  know  this, 
they  remonstrated  against  them  ;  and  the  assembly  drew 
up  an  humble  address  to  his  majesty,  complaining  of  the 
said  grants,  as  derogatory  to  the  previous  charters  and  privi 
leges  granted  to  that  colony,  by  his  majesty  and  his  royal 
progenitors.  They  sent  to  England  Mr.  Secretary  Ludwell 
and  Colonel  Park,  as  their  agents  to  address  the  king,  to 
vacate  those  grants.  And  the  better  to  defray  that  charge, 
they  laid  a  tax  of  fifty  pounds  of  tobacco  per  poll,  for  two 
years  together,  over  and  above  all  other  taxes,  which  was 
an  excessive  burden.  They  likewise  laid  amercements  of 
seventy,  fifty,  or  thirty  pounds  of  tobacco,  as  the  cause  was 


62  CAUSE  OF  BACON'S  REBELLION. 

on  every  law  case  tried  throughout  the  country.  Besides  all 
this,  they  applied  the  balance,  remaining  due  upon  account 
of  the  two  shilling  per  hogshead,  and  fort  duties,  to  this 
use.  Which  taxes  and  amercements  fell  heaviest  on  the 
poor  people,  the  effect  of  whose  labor  would  not  clothe 
their  wives  and  children.  This  made  them  desperately  un 
easy,  especially  when,  after  a  whole  year's  patience  under 
all  these  pressures,  they  had  no  encouragement  from  their 
agents  in  England,  to  hope  for  remedy  ;  nor  any  certainty 
when  they  should  be  eased  of  those  heavy  impositions. 

§  94.  Thirdly,  Upon  the  back  of  all  these  misfortunes 
came  out  the  act  of  25  Car.  II.  for  better  securing  the 
plantation  trade.  By  this  act  several  duties  were  laid  on 
the  trade  from  one  plantation  to  another.  This  was  a  new 
hardship,  and  the  rather,  because  the  revenue  arising  by 
this  act  was  not  applied  to  the  use  of  the  plantations 
wherein  it  was  raised  :  but  given  clear  away  ;  nay,  in  that 
country  it  seemed  to  be  of  no  other  use,  but  to  burden  the 
trade,  or  create  a  good  income  to  the  officers  ;  for  the  col 
lector  had  half,  the  comptroller  a  quarter,  and  the  remain 
ing  quarter  was  subdivided  into  salaries,  till  it  was  lost. 

By  the  same  act  also  very  great  duties  were  laid  on  the 
fisheries  of  the  plantations,  if  manufactured  by  the  English 
inhabitants  there  ;  while  the  people  of  England  were  abso 
lutely  free  from  all  customs.  Nay,  though  the  oil,  blubber 
and  whale  bone,  which  were  made  by  the  inhabitants  of 
the  plantations,  were  carried  to  England  by  Englishmen, 
and  in  English  built  ships,  yet  it  was  held  to  a  considera 
ble  duty,  more  than  the  inhabitants  of  England  paid. 

§95.  These  were  the  afflictions  that  country  labored  un 
der  when  the  fourth  accident  happened,  viz.,  the  distur 
bance  offered  by  the  Indians  to  the  frontiers. 

This  was  occasioned,  first,  by  the  Indians  on  the  head  of 
the  bay.  Secondly,  by  the  Indians  on  their  own  frontiers. 

First.  The  Indians  at  the  head  of  the  bay  drove  a  con 
stant  trade  with  the  Dutch  in  Monadas,  now  called  New 
York  ;  and  to  carry  on  this,  they  used  to  come  every  year 


63 


by  the  frontiers  of  Virginia,  to  hunt  and  purchase  skins  and 
furs  of  the  Indians  to  the  southward.  This  trade  was  car 
ried  on  peaceably  while  the  Dutch  held  Monadas  ;  and  the 
Indians  used  to  call  on  the  English  in  Virginia  on  their  re 
turn,  to  whom  they  would  sell  part  of  their  furs,  and  with 
the  rest  go  on  to  Monadas.  But  after  the  English  came  to 
possess  that  place,  and  understood  the  advantages  the  Vir 
ginians  made  by  the  tiade  of  their  Indians,  they  inspired 
them  with  such  a  hatred  to  the  inhabitants  of  Virginia  that, 
instead  of  coming  peaceably  to  trade  with  them,  as  they 
had  done  for  several  years  before,  they  afterwards  never 
came,  but  only  to  commit  robberies  and  murders  upon  the 
people. 

Secondly.  The  Indians  upon  their  own  frontiers  were 
likewise  inspired  with  ill  thoughts  of  them.  For  their  In 
dian  merchants  had  lost  a  considerable  branch  of  their  trade 
they  knew  not  how  ;  and  apprehended  the  consequences  of 
Sir  William  Berkeley's  intended  discoveries,  (espoused  by 
the  assembly,)  might  take  away  the  remaining  part  of 
their  profit.  This  made  them  very  troublesome  to  the 
neighbor  Indians  ;  who  on  their  part,  observing  an  unusual 
uneasiness  in  the  English,  and  being  terrified  by  their  rough 
usage,  immediately  suspected  some  wicked  design  against 
their  lives,  and  so  fled  to  their  remoter  habitations.  This 
confirmed  the  English  in  the  belief,  that  they  had  been  the 
murderers,  till  at  last  they  provoked  them  to  be  so  in  earnest. 

§  96.  This  addition  of  mischief  to  minds  already  full  of 
discontent,  made  people  ready  to  vent  all  their  resentment 
against  the  poor  Indians.  There  was  nothing  to  be  got  by 
tobacco  ;  neither  could  they  turn  any  other  manufacture  to 
advantage  ;  so  that  most  of  the  poorer  sort  were  willing  to  quit 
their  unprofitable  employments,  and  go  volunteers  against 
the  Indians. 

At  first  they  flocked  together  tumultuously,  running  in 
troops  from  one  plantation  to  another  without  a  head,  till 
at  last  the  seditious  humor  of  Colonel  Nath.  Bacon  led  him 
to  be  of  the  party.  This  gentleman  had  been  brought  up 


64  BACON    TAKES    COMMAND. 

at  one  of  the  Inns  of  court  in  England,  and  had  a  mode 
rate  fortune.  He  was  young,  bold,  active,  of  an  inviting 
aspect,  and  powerful  elocution.  In  a  word,  he  was  every 
way  qualified  1.0  head  a  giddy  and  unthinking  multitude 
Before  he  had  been  three  years  in  the  country,  he  was,  for 
his  extraordinary  qualifications,  made  one  of  the  council, 
and  in  great  honor  and  esteem  among  the  people.  For  this 
reason  he  no  sooner  gave  countenance  to  this  riotous  mob, 
but  they  all  presently  fixed  their  eyes  upon  him  for  their 
general,  and  accordingly  made  their  addresses  to  him. 
As  soon  as  he  found  this,  he  harangued  them  pub 
licly.  He  aggravated  the  Indian  mischiefs,  complaining 
that  they  were  occasioned  for  want  of  a  due  regulation 
of  their  trade.  He  recounted  particularly  the  other  grie- 
.vances  and  pressures  they  lay  under,  and  pretended  that 
he  accepted  of  their  command  with  no  other  intention 
but  to  do  them  and  the  country  service,  in  which  he  was 
willing  to  encounter  the  greatest  difficulties  and  dangers. 
He  farther  assured  them  he  would  never  lay  down  his 
arms  till  he  had  revenged  their  sufferings  upon  the  In 
dians,  and  redressed  all  their  other  grievances. 

§97.  By  these  insinuations  he  wrought  his  men  into  so 
perfect  an  unanimity,  that  they  were  one  and  all  at  his  de 
votion.  He  took  care  to  exasperate  them  to  the  utmost,  by 
representing  all  their  misfortunes.  After  he  had  begun  to 
muster  them,  he  dispatched  a  messenger  to  the  governor, 
by  whom  he  aggravated  the  mischiefs  done  by  the  Indians, 
and  desired  a  commission  of  general  to  go  out  against 
them.  This  gentleman  was  in  so  great  esteem  at  that  time 
with  the  council,  that  the  governor  did  not  think  fit  to 
give  him  a  flat  refusal  ;  but  sent  him  word  he  would  con 
sult  the  council,  and  return  him  a  farther  answer. 

§  98.  In  the  mean  time  Bacon  was  expeditious  in  his 
preparations,  and  having  all  things  in  readiness,  began  his 
march,  depending  on  the  authority  the  people  had  given 
him.  He  would  not  lose  so  much  time  as  to  stay  for  his 
commission  ;  but  dispatched  several  messengers  to  the  go- 


BACON    IS    SUSPENDED    FROM    THE    COUNCIL.  65 

vernor  to  hasten  it.  On  the  other  hand,  the  governor, 
instead  of  a  commission,  sent  positive  orders  to  him  to  dis 
perse  his  men  and  come  down  in  person  to  him,  upon  pain 
of  being  declared  a  rebel. 

§  99.  This  unexpected  order  was  a  great  surprise  to 
Bacon,  and  not  a  little  trouble  to  his  men.  However,  he 
was  resolved  to  prosecute  his  first  intentions,  depending  upon 
his  strength  and  interest  with  the  people.  Nevertheless,  he 
intended  to  wait  upon  the  governor,  but  not  altogether  de 
fenceless.  Pursuant  to  this  resolution,  he  took  about  forty 
of  his  men  down  with  him  in  a  sloop  to  Jamestown,  where 
the  governor  was  with  his  council. 

§100.  Matters  did  not  succeed  there  to  Mr.  Bacon's  sat 
isfaction,  wherefore  he  expressed  himself  a  little  too  freely. 
For  which,  being  suspended  from  the  council,  he  went 
away  again  in  a  huff  with  his  sloop  and  followers.  The 
governor  filled  a  long  boat  with  men,  and  pursued  the 
sloop  so  close,  that  Colonel  Bacon  moved  into  his  boat  to 
make  more  haste.  But  the  governor  had  sent  up  by  land 
to  the  ships  at  Sandy  Point,  where  he  was  stopped  and 
sent  down  again.  Upon  his  return  he  was  kindly  received 
by  the  governor,  who,  knowing  he  had  gone  a  step  beyond 
his  instructions  in  having  suspended  him,  was  glad  to  admit 
him  again  of  the  council  ;  after  which  he  hoped  all  things 
might  be  pacified. 

§101.  Notwithstanding  this;  Colonel  Bacon  still  insisted 
upon  a  commission  to  be  general  of  the  volunteers,  and  to 
go  out  against  the  Indians  ;  from  which  the  governor  en 
deavored  to  dissuade  him,  but  to  no  purpose,  because  he 
had  some  secret  project  in  view.  He  had  the  luck  to  be 
countenanced  in  his  importunities,  by  the  news  of  fresh 
murder  and  robberies  committed  by  the  Indians.  However, 
not  being  able  to  accomplish  his  ends  by  fair  means,  he 
stole  privately  out  of  town  ;  and  having  put  himself  at  the 
head  of  six  hundred  volunteers,  marched  directly  to  James 
town,  where  the  assembly  was  then  sitting.  He  presented 
himself  before  the  assembly,  and  drew  up  his  men  in  battalia 


66  BACON    OBTAINS    A    COMMISSION. 

before  the  house  wherein  they  sat.  He  urged  to  them  his 
preparations ;  and  alledged  that  if  the  commission  had  not 
been  delayed  so  long,  the  war  against  the  Indians  might 
have  been  finished. 

§  102.  The  governor  resented  this  insolent  usage  worst  of 
all,  and  now  obstinately  refused  to  grant  him  anything, 
offering  his  naked  breast  againt  the  presented  arms  of  his 
followers.  But  the  assembly,  fearing  the  fatal  consequences 
of  provoking  a  discontented  multitude  ready  armed,  who 
had  the  governor,  council  and  assembly  entirely  in  their 
power,  addressed  the  governor  to  grant  Bacon  his  request. 
They  prepared  themselves  the  commission,  constituting  him 
general  of  the  forces  of  Virginia,  and  brought  it  to  the 
governor  to  be  signed. 

With  much  reluctancy  the  governor  signed  it,  and  thereby 
put  the  power  of  war  and  peace  into  Bacon's  hands. 
Upon  this  he  marched  away  immediately,  having  gained 
his  end,  which  was  in  effect  a  power  to  secure  a  monopoly 
of  the  Indian  trade  to  himself  and  his  friends. 

§  103.  As  soon  as  General  Bacon  had  marched  to  such 
a  convenient  distance  from  Jamestown  that  the  assembly 
thought  they  might  deliberate  with  safely,  the  governor, 
by  their  advice,  issued  a  proclamation  of  rebellion  against 
him,  commanding  his  followers  to  surrender  him,  and  forth 
with  disperse  themselves,  giving  orders  at  the  same  time  for 
raising  the  militia  of  the  country  against  him. 

§104.  The  people  being  much  exasperated,  and  Gen 
eral  Bacon  by  his  address  and  eloquence  having  gained 
an  absolute  dominion  over  their  hearts,  they  unanimously 
resolved  that  not  a  hair  of  his  head  should  be  touched, 
much  less  that  they  should  surrender  him  as  a  rebel.  There 
fore  they  kept  to  their  arms,  and  instead  of  proceeding 
against  the  Indians  they  marched  back  to  Jamestown,  di 
recting  their  fury  against  such  of  their  friends  and  country 
men  as  should  dare  to  oppose  them. 

§  105.  The  governor  seeing  this,  fled  over  the  bay  to 
Accomac,  whither  he  hoped  the  infection  of  Bacon's  con- 


67 


spiracy  had  not  reached.  But  there,  instead  of  that  peo 
ple's  receiving  him  with  open  arms,  in  remembrance  of 
the  former  services  he  had  done  them,  they  began  to  make 
terms  with  him  for  redress  of  their  grievances,  and  for  the 
ease  and  liberty  of  trade  against  the  acts  of  parliament. 
Thus  Sir  William,  who  had  been  almost  the  idol  of  the 
people,  was,  by  reason  of  their  calamity  and  jealousy,  aban 
doned  by  all,  except  some  few,  who  went  over  to  him  from 
the  western  shore  in  sloops  and  boats,  among  which  one 
Major  Robert  Beverley  was  the  most  active  and  successful 
commander ;  so  that  it  was  sometime  before  he  could  make 
head  against  Bacon,  but  left  him  to  range  through  the 
country  at  discretion. 

§  106.  General  Bacon  at  first  held  a  convention,  of  such 
of  the  chief  gentlemen  of  the  country  as  would  come  to 
him,  especially  of  those  about  Middle  Plantation,  who  were 
near  at  hand.  At  this  convention  they  made  a  declaration 
to  justify  his  unlawful  proceedings,  and  obliged  people  to 
take  an  oath  of  obedience  to  him  as  their  general.  Then, 
by  their  advice,  on  pretence  of  the  governor's  abdication, 
he  called  an  assembly,  by  writs  signed  by  himself  and  four 
others  of  the  council. 

The  oath  was  word  for  word  as  follows  : 

"Whereas  the  country  hath  raised  an  army  against  our 
common  enemy  the  Indians,  and  the  same  under  the  com 
mand  of  General  Bacon,  being  upon  the  point  to 
march  forth  against  the  said  common  enemy,  hath  been 
diverted  and  necessitated  to  move  to  the  suppressing  of 
forces,  by  evil  disposed  persons  raised  against  the  said 
General  Bacon,  purposely  to  foment  and  stir  up  civil  war 
among  us,  to  the  ruin  of  this  his  majesty's  country.  And 
whereas  it  is  notoriously  manifest,  that  Sir  William  Berkeley, 
knight,  governor  of  the  country,  assisted,  counselled  and 
abetted  by  those  evil  disposed  persons  aforesaid,  hath  not, 
only  commanded,  fomented  and  stirred  up  the  people  to 
the  said  civil  war,  but  failing  therein,  hath  withdrawn 
himself,  to  the  great  astonishment  of  the  people,  and  the 


68  DECLARATION    CONTINUED. 

unsettlement  of  the  country.  And  whereas  the  said  army, 
raised  by  the  country  for  the  causes  aforesaid,  remain  full 
of  dissatisfaction  in  the  middle  of  the  country,  expecting 
attempts  from  the  said  governor  and  the  evil  counseilers 
aforesaid.  And  since  no  proper  means  have  been  found 
out  for  the  settlement  of  the  distractions,  and  preventing 
the  horrid  outrages  and  murders  daily  committed  in  many 
places  of  the  country  by  the  barbarous  enemy,  it  hath  been 
thought  fit  by  the  said  general,  to  call  unto  him  all  such 
sober  and  discreet  gentlemen  as  the  present  circumstances 
of  the  country  will  admit,  to  the  Middle  Plantation,  to 
consult  and  advise  of  re-establishing  the  peace  of  the 
country.  So  we,  the  said  gentlemen,  being  this  third  of 
August,  1676,  accordingly  met,  do  advise,  resolve,  declare 
and  conclude,  and  for  ourselves  do  swear  in  manner  follow 
ing  : 

1st.  That  we  will  at  all  times  join  with  the  said  general 
Bacon  and  his  army,  against  the  common  enemy  in  all 
points  whatsoever. 

2nd.  That  whereas  certain  persons  have  lately  contrived 
and  designed  the  raising  forces  against  the  said  general, 
and  the  army  under  his  command,  thereby  to  beget  a  civil 
war,  we  will  endeavor  the  discovery  and  apprehending  of 
all  and  every  of  those  evil  disposed  persons,  and  them 
secure,  until  farther  order  from  the  general. 

3rd.  And  whereas  it  is  credibly  reported,  that  the  gov 
ernor  hath  informed  the  king's  majesty  that  the  said  general, 
and  the  people  of  the  country  in  arms  under  his  command, 
their  aiders  and  abettors,  are  rebellious,  and  removed  from 
their  allegiance  ;  and  that  upon  such  like  information,  he, 
the  said  governor,  hath  advised  and  petitioned  the  king  to 
send  forces  to  reduce  them,  we  do  farther  declare  and  be 
lieve  in  our  consciences,  that  it  consists  with  the  welfare  of 
this  country,  and  with  our  allegiance  to  his  most  sacred 
majesty,  that  we,  the  inhabitants  of  Virginia,  to  the  utmost 
of  our  power,  do  oppose  and  suppress  all  forces  whatsoever 
of  that  nature,  until  such  time  as  the  king  be  fully  informed 


DEATH  OF  GENERAL  BACON.  69 

of  the  state  of  the  case,  by  such  person  or  persons  as  shall 
be  sent  from  the  said  Nathaniel  Bacon,  in  the  behalf  of  the 
people,  and  the  determination  thereof  be  remitted  hither. 
And  we  do  swear,  that  we  will  him,  the  said  general,  and 
the  army  under  his  command,  aid  and  assist  accordingly. 

§108.  By  this  time  (he  governor  had  got  together  a 
small  party  to  side  with  him.  These  he  furnished  with 
sloops,  anns  and  ammunition,  under  command  of  Major 
Robert  Beverley,  in  order  to  cross  the  bay  and  oppose  the 
malcontents.  By  this  means  there  happened  some  skir 
mishes,  in  which  several  were  killed,  and  others  taken 
prisoners.  Thus  they  were  going  on  by  a  civil  war  to  des 
troy  one  another,  and  lay  waste  their  infant  country,  when 
it  pleased  God,  after  some  months'  confusion,  to  put  an  end 
to  their  misfortunes,  as  well  as  to  Bacon's  designs,  by  his 
natural  death.  He  died  at  Dr.  Green's  in  Gloucester  county. 
But  where  he  was  buried  was  never  yet  discovered,  though 
afterward  there  was  great  inquiry  made,  with  design  to 
expose  his  bones  to  public  infamy. 

§109.  In  the  meanwhile  those  disorders  occasioned  a 
general  neglect  of  husbandry,  and  a  great  destruction  of  the 
stocks  of  cattle,  so  that  people  had  a  dreadful  prospect  of 
want  and  famine.  But  the  malcontents  being  thus  disuni 
ted  by  the  loss  of  their  general,  in  whom  they  all  confided, 
they  began  to  squabble  among  themselves,  and  every  man's 
business  was,  how  to  make  the  best  terms  he  could  for 
himself. 

Lieutenant  General  Ingram,  (whose  true  name  was  John 
son)  and  Major  General  Walklate,  surrendered,  on  condition 
of  pardon  for  themselves  and  their  followers,  though  they 
were  both  forced  to  submit  to  an  incapacity  of  bearing  office 
in  that  country  for  the  future. 

Peace  being  thus  restored,  Sir  William  Berkeley  returned 
to  his  former  seat  of  government,  and  every  man  to  his 
several  habitation. 

§110.  While  this  intestine  war  was  fomenting  there,  the 
agents  of  the  country  in  England  could  not  succeed  in  their 


70 


JAMESTOWN    BURNT. 


remonstrance  against  the  propriety  grants,  though  they  were 
told  that  those  grants  should  be  revoked.  But  the  news  of 
their  civil  war  reaching  England  about  the  same  time,  the 
king  would  then  proceed  no  farther  in  that  matter.  So  the 
agents  thought  it  their  best  way  to  compound  with  the  pro 
prietors.  Accordingly  they  agreed  with  them  for  four  hun 
dred  pounds  a  man,  which  was  paid.  And  so  all  the 
clamor  against  those  grants  ended  ;  neither  was  any  more 
heard  from  them  there  till  above  a  dozen  years  afterwards. 

§111.  But  all  those  agents  could  obtain  after  their  com 
position  with  the  lords,  was  merely  the  name  of  a  new 
charter,  granting  only  so  much  of  their  former  constitution 
as  mentioned  a  residence  of  the  governor  or  deputy  ;  a 
granting  of  escheat  lands  for  two  pounds  of  tobacco  per 
acre,  composition  ;  and  that  the  lands  should  be  held  of 
the  crown  in  the  same  tenure  as  East  Greenwich,  that  is, 
free  and  common  soccage,  and  have  their  immediate  de 
pendence  on  the  crown. 

§112.  When  this  storm,  occasioned  by  Bacon,  was  blown 
over,  and  all  things  quiet  again,  Sir  William  Berkeley  called 
an  assembly,  for  settling  the  affairs  of  the  country,  and  for 
making  reparation  to  such  as  had  been  oppressed.  After 
which  a  regiment  of  soldiers  arrived  from  England,  which 
were  sent  to  suppress  the  insurrection  ;  but  they,  coming 
after  the  business  was  over,  had  no  occasion  to  exercise  their 
courage.  However,  they  were  kept  on  foot  there  about 
three  years  after,  and  in  the  Lord  Colepepper's  time,  paid 
off  and  disbanded. 

§113.  The  confusion  occasioned  by  the  civil  war,  and 
the  advantage  the  Indians  made  of  it  in  butcheriug  the 
English  upon  all  their  frontiers,  caused  such  a  desolation, 
and  put  the  country  so  far  back,  that  to  the  year  1704  they 
had  seated  very  little  beyond  the  boundaries  that  were  then 
inhabited.  At  that  time  Jamestown  was  again  burnt  down 
to  the  ground  by  Richard  Laurence,  one  of  Bacon's  cap 
tains,  who,  when  his  own  men,  that  abhorred  such  barbar 
ity,  refused  to  obey  his  command,  he  himself  became  the 


DEATH    OF    BERKELEY.  71 

executioner,  and  fired  the  houses  with  his  own  hands. 
This  unhappy  town  did  never  after  arrive  to  the  perfec 
tion  it  then  had  :  and  now  it  is  almost  deserted  by  remo 
ving  in  Governor  Nicholson's  time  the  assembly  and  general 
court  from  thence  to  Williamsburg,  an  inland  place  about 
seven  miles  from  it. 

§114.  With  the  regiment  above  mentioned  arrived  com 
missioners,  to  enquire  into  the  occasion  and  authors  of  this 
rebellion  ;  and  Sir  William  Berkeley  came  to  England : 
where  from  the  time  of  his  arrival,  his  sickness  obliged  him 
to  keep  his  chamber  till  he  died  ;  so  that  he  had  no  oppor 
tunity  of  kissing  the  king's  hand.  But  his  majesty  declared 
himself  well  satisfied  with  his  conduct  in  Virginia,  and  was 
very  kind  to  him  during  his  sickness,  often  enquiring  after 
his  health,  and  commanding  him  not  to  hazard  it  by  too 
early  an  endeavor  to  come  to  court. 

§115.  Upon  Sir  William  Berkeley's  voyage  to  England, 
Herbert  Jeffreys,  Esq.,  was  appointed  governor.  He  made 
formal  articles  of  peace  with  the  Indians,  and  held  an  as 
sembly  at  Middle  Plantation,  wherein  they  settled  and  al 
lowed  a  free  trade  with  the  Indians  j  but  restrained  it  to 
certain  marts,  to  which  the  Indians  should  bring  their  com 
modities  :  and  this  also  to  be  under  such  certain  rules  as 
were  by  that  assembly  directed.  But  this  method  was  not 
agreeable  to  the  Indians,  who  had  never  before  been  under 
any  regulation.  They  thought,  that  if  all  former  usages 
were  not  restored,  the  peace  was  not  perfect ;  and  therefore 
did  not  much  rely  upon  it,  which  made  those  new  restric 
tions  useless. 

Governor  Jeffreys  his  time  was  very  short  there,  he  being 
taken  off  by  death  the  year  following. 

§116.  After  him  Sir  Henry  Chicheley  was  made  deputy 
governor,  in  the  latter  end  of  the  year  1678.  In  his  time 
the  assembly,  for  the  greater  terror  of  the  Indians,  built 
magazines  at  the  heads  of  the  four  great  rivers,  and  fur 
nished  them  with  arms,  ammunition  and  men  in  constant 
service. 


72  GOVERNOR    COLEPEPPER.. 

This  assembly  also  prohibited  the  importation  of  tobacco, 
which  Carolina,  and  sometimes  Maryland,  were  wont  to 
send  thither,  in  order  to  its  being  shipped  off  for  England. 
But  in  that,  I  think,  Virginia  mistook  her  interest.  For, 
had  they  permitted  this  custom  to  become  habitual,  and 
thus  engrossed  the  shipping,  as  would  soon  have  happened, 
they  could  easily  have  regulated  the  trade  of  tobacco  at  any 
time,  without  the  concurrence  of  those  other  colonies,  and 
without  submitting  to  their  perverse  humors  as  formerly. 

§117.  The  spring  following,  Thomas  Lord  Colepepper 
arrived  there  governor,  and  carried  with  him  some  laws, 
which  had  been  drawn  up  in  England,  to  be  enacted  in 
their  assembly.  And  coming  with  the  advantage  of  restor 
ing  peace  to  a  troubled  nation,  it  was  not  difficult  for  him 
to  obtain  whatever  he  pleased  from  the  people.  His  influ 
ence  too  was  the  greater  by  the  power  he  had  of  pardoning 
those  who  had  a  hand  in  the  disorders  committed  in  the 
late  rebellion. 

§118.  In  his  first  assembly  he  passed  several  acts  very 
obliging  to  the  country,  viz.,  First,  an  act  of  naturalization, 
whereby  the  power  of  naturalizing  foreigners  was  placed  in 
the  governor.  Secondly,  an  act  for  cohabitation  and  encour 
agement  of  trade  and  manufactures  ;  whereby  a  certain  place 
in  each  county  was  appointed  for  a  town,  in  which  all 
goods  imported  and  exported  were  to  be  landed  and  shipped 
off,  bought  and  sold.  Which  act  was  kindly  brought  to 
nothing  by  the  opposition  of  the  tobacco  merchants  of  Eng 
land.  Thirdly,  an  act  of  general  pardon  and  oblivion, 
whereby  all  the  transgressions  and  outrages  committed  in  the 
time  of  the  late  rebellion  were  entirely  remitted  ;  and  repa 
ration  allowed  to  people  that  should  be  evil  spoken  of  on 
that  account. 

§119.  By  passing  some  laws  that  obliged  the  country,  the 
Lord  Colepepper  carried  one  that  was  very  pleasing  to  him 
self,  viz.,  the  act  for  raising  a  public  revenue  for  the  better 
support  of  the  government.  By  this  he  got  the  duties  con 
tained  therein  to  be  made  perpetual  ;  and  that  the  money, 


GOVERNOR    COLEPEPPER.  73 

which  before  used  to  be  accounted  for  to  the  assembly, 
should  be  from  thenceforth  disposed  of  by  his  majesty's  sole 
direction,  for  the  support  of  the  government.  When  this 
was  done,  he  obtained  of  the  king  out  of  the  said  duties  a 
salary  of  two  thousand  pounds  per  annum,  instead  of  one 
thousand,  which  was  formerly  allowed.  Also  one  hundred 
and  sixty  pounds  per  annum  for  house  rent,  besides  all  the 
usual  perquisites. 

§120.  In  those  submissive  times  his  lordship  reduced  the 
greatest  perquisite  of  his  place  to  a  certainty,  which  before 
that  was  only  gratuitous  ;  that  is,  instead  of  the  masters  of 
ships  making  presents  of  liquors  or  provisions  towards  the 
governor's  house  keeping,  as  they  were  wont  to  do,  he  de 
manded  a  certain  sum  of  money,  remitting  that  custom. 
This  rate  has  ever  since  been  demanded  of  all  commanders 
as  a  duty  ;  and  is  twenty  shillings  for  each  ship  or  vessel, 
under  an  hundred  tons,  and  thirty  shillings  for  each  ship 
upwards  of  that  burden,  to  be  paid  every  voyage,  or  port 
clearing. 

§121.  This  noble  lord  seemed  to  lament  the  unhappy 
state  of  the  country  in  relation  to  their  coin.  He  was  ten 
derly  concerned  that  all  their  cash  should  be  drained  away 
by  the  neighboring  colonies,  which  had  not  set  so  low  an 
estimate  upon  it  as  Virginia  ;  and  therefore  he  proposed  the 
raising  of  it. 

This  was  what  the  country  had  formerly  desired,  and  the 
assembly  was  about  making  a  law  for  it :  but  his  lordship 
stopped  them,  alledging  it  was  the  king's  prerogative,  by  vir 
tue  of  which  he  would  do  it  by  proclamation.  This  they 
did  not  approve  of,  well  knowing,  if  that  were  the  case,  his 
lordship  and  every  other  governor  would  at  any  time  have 
the  same  prerogative  of  altering  it,  and  so  people  should 
never  be  at  any  certainty  ;  as  they  quickly  after  found  from 
his  own  practice.  For  his  drift  was  only  to  make  advan 
tage  of  paying  the  soldiers  ;  money  for  that  purpose  being 
put  into  his  lordship's  hands,  he  provided  light  pieces  of 
eight,  which  he  with  this  view  had  bought  at  a  cheap  rate. 
10 


74  TOBACCO  PLANTS  DESTROYED. 

When  this  contrivance  was  ripe  for  execution,  he  extended 
the  royal  prerogative,  and  issued  forth  a  proclamation  for 
raising  the  value  of  pieces  of  eight  from  five  to  six  shil 
lings  ;  and  as  soon  as  they  were  admitted  current  at  that 
value,  he  produced  an  order  for  paying  and  disbanding  the 
soldiers.  Then  those  poor  fellows,  and  such  as  had  main 
tained  them,  were  forced  to  take  their  pay  in  those  light 
pieces  of  eight,  at  six  shillings.  But  his  lordship  soon  after 
himself  found  the  inconvenience  of  that  proclamation  ;  for 
people  began  to  pay  their  duties,  and  their  ship  money  in 
coin  of  that  high  estimate,  which  was  like  to  cut  short  both 
his  lordship's  perquisites  ;  and  so  he  was  forced  to  make  use 
of  the  same  prerogative,  to  reduce  the  money  again  to  its 
former  standard. 

§  122.  In  less  than  a  year  the  Lord  Colepepper  returned 
to  England,  leaving  Sir  Henry  Chicheley  deputy  governor. 

The  country  being  then  settled  again,  made  too  much  to 
bacco,  or  too  much  trash  tobacco,  for  the  market ;  and  the 
merchants  would  hardly  allow  the  planter  any  thing  for  it. 

This  occasioned  much  uneasiness  again,  and  the  people, 
from  former  experience,  despairing  of  succeeding  in  any 
agreement  with  the  neighboring  governments,  resolved  a  total 
destruction  of  the  tobacco  in  that  country,  especially  of  the 
sweet  scented  ;  because  that  was  planted  no  where  else.  In 
pursuance  of  which  design,  they  contrived  that  all  the  plants 
should  be  destroyed,  while  they  were  yet  in  the  beds,  and 
after  it  was  too  late  to  sow  more. 

Accordingly  the  ringleaders  in  this  project  began  with 
their  own  first,  and  then  went  to  cut  up  the  plants  of  such 
of  their  neighbors  as  were  not  willing  to  do  it  themselves. 
However,  they  had  not  resolution  enough  to  go  through 
with  their  work. 

This  was  adjudged  sedition  and  felony.  Several  people 
were  committed  upon  it,  and  some  condemned  to  be  hanged. 
And  afterwards  the  assembly  passed  a  law  to  make  such 
proceedings  felony  for  the  future,  (whatever  it  was  before,) 
provided  the  company  kept  together  after  warning  by  a 
justice. 


QUARREL  OF  THE  COUNCIL  AND  ASSEMBLY.       75 

§123.  After  this  accident  of  plant  cutting,  the  Lord  Cole- 
pepper  returned,  and  held  his  second  assembly ,  in  which  he 
con i rived  to  gain  another  great  advantage  over  the  country. 
His  lordship,  in  his  first  voyage  thither,  perceiving  how 
easily  he  could  twist  and  manage  the  people,  conceived  new 
hopes  of  retrieving  the  propriety  of  the  Northern  Neck,  as 
being  so  small  a  part  of  the  colony.  He  conceived  that 
while  the  remainder  escaped  free,  which  was  far  the  greater 
part,  they  would  not  engage  in  the  interest  of  the  lesser 
number  ;  especially  considering  the  discouragements  they  had 
met  with  before,  in  their  former  solicitation  :  though  all  this 
while,  and  for  many  years  afterwards,  his  lordship  did  not 
pretend  to  lay  public  claim  to  any  part  of  the  propriety. 

It  did  not  square  with  this  project  that  appeals  should  be 
made  to  the  general  assembly,  as  till  then  had  been  the  cus 
tom.  He  feared  the  burgesses  would  be  too  much  in  the 
interest  of  their  countrymen,  and  adjudge  the  inhabitants  of 
the  Northern  Neck  to  have  an  -equal  liberty  and  privilege  in 
their  estates  with  the  rest  of  Virginia,  as  being  settled  upon 
the  same  foot.  In  order  therefore  to  make  a  better  penny 
worth  of  those  poor  people,  he  studied  to  overturn  this  odi 
ous  method  of  appealing  to  the  assembly,  and  to  fix  the 
last  resort  in  another  court. 

To  bring  this  point  about,  his  lordship  contrived  to  blow 
up  a  difference  in  the  assembly  between  the  council  and 
the  burgesses,  privately  encouraging  the  burgesses  to  insist 
upon  the  privilege  of  determining  all  appeals  by  themselves, 
exclusive  of  the  council  ;  because  they,  having  given  their 
opinions  before  in  the  general  court,  were,  for  that  reason, 
unfit  judges  in  appeals  from  themselves  to  the  assembly. 
This  succeeded  according  to  his  wish,  and  the  burgesses  bit 
at  the  bait,  under  the  notion  of  privilege,  never  dreaming 
of  the  snake  that  lay  in  the  grass,  nor  considering  the  dan 
ger  of  altering  an  old  constitution  so  abruptly.  Thus  my 
lord  gained  his  end  ;  for  he  represented  that  quarrel  with  so 
many  aggravations,  that  he  got  an  instruction  from  the  king 
to  take  away  all  appeals  from  the  general  court  to  the  as- 


76  NORTHERN   NECK    DIFFICULTIES. 

sembly,  and  cause  them  to  be  made  to  himself  in  council, 
if  the  thing  in  demand  was  of  JT300  value,  otherwise  no 
appeal  from  the  general  court. 

§  124.  Of  this  his  lordship  made  sufficient  advantage  ;  for 
in  the  confusion  that  happened  in  the  end  of  king  James 
the  Second's  reign,  viz.,  in  October  1688,  he  having  got 
an  assignment  from  the  other  patentees,  gained  a  favorable 
report  from  the  king's  council  at  law  upon  his  patent  for 
the  Northern  Neck. 

When  he  had  succeeded  in  this,  his  lordship's  next  step 
was  to  engage  some  noted  inhabitant  of  the  place  to  be  on 
his  side.  Accordingly  he  made  use  of  his  cousin  Secretary 
Spencer,  who  lived  in  the  said  Neck,  and  was  esteemed  as 
wise  and  great  a  man  as  any  of  the  council.  This  gentle 
man  did  but  little  in  his  lordship's  service,  and  only  gained 
some  few  strays,  that  used  to  be  claimed  by  the  coroner,  in 
behalf  of  the  king. 

Upon  the  death  of  Mr.  Secretary  Spencer,  he  engaged 
another  noted  gentleman,  an  old  slander  in  that  country, 
though  not  of  the  Northern  Neck,  Col.  Philip  Ludwell, 
who  was  then  in  England.  He  went  over  with  this  grant 
in  the  year  1690,  and  set  up  an  office  in  the  Neck,  claim 
ing  some  escheats  ;  but  he  likewise  could  make  nothing  of 
it.  After  him  Col.  George  Brent  and  Col.  William  Fitz- 
Hugh,  that  were  noted  lawyers  and  inhabitants  of  the  said 
Neck,  were  employed  in  that  affair :  but  succeeded  no  better 
than  their  predecessors.  The  people,  in  the  mean  while, 
complained  frequently  to  their  assemblies,  who  at  last  made 
another  address  to  the  king  ;  but  there  being  no  agent  in 
England  to  prosecute  it,  that  likewise  miscarried.  At  last 
Colonel  Richard  Lee,  one  of  the  council,  a  man  of  note 
and  inhabitant  of  the  Northern  Neck,  privately  made  a  com 
position  with  the  proprietors  themselves  for  his  own  land. 
This  broke  the  ice,  and  several  were  induced  to  follow  so 
great  an  example  ;  so  that  by  degrees,  they  were  generally 
brought  to  pay  their  quit-rents  into  the  hands  of  the  proprie 
tors'  agents.  And  now  at  last  it  is  managed  for  them  by 


LORD    HOWARD,    GOVERNOR.  77 

Col.   Robert  Carter,  another  of  the  council,  and  the  greatest 
freeholder  in  that  proprietary. 

§125.  To  return  to  my  Lord  Colepepper's  government,  I 
cannot  omit  a  useful  thing  which  his  lordship  was  pleased 
to  do,  with  relation  to.  their  courts  of  justice.  It  seems, 
nicety  of  pleading,  with  all  the  juggle  of  Westminster  Hall, 
was  creeping  into  their  courts.  The  clerks  began  in  some 
cases  to  enter  the  reasons  with  the  judgments,  pretending  to 
set  precedents  of  inviolable  form  to  be  observed  in  all  future 
proceedings.  This  my  lord  found  fault  with,  and  retrenched 
all  dilatory  pleas,  as  prejudicial  to  justice,  keeping  the 
courts  close  to  the  merits  of  the  cause,  in  order  to  bring  it 
to  a  speedy  determination,  according  to  the  innocence  of  for 
mer  times,  and  caused  the  judgments  to  be  entered  up 
short,  without  the  reason,  alledging  that  their  courts  were 
Hot  of  so  great  experience  as  to  be  able  to  make  precedents 
to  posterity  ;  who  ought  to  be  left  at  liberty  to  determine, 
according  to  the  equity  of  the  controversy  before  them. 

§126.  In  his  time  also  were  dismantled  the  forts  built  by 
Sir  Henry  Chicheley  at  the  heads  of  the  rivers,  and  the 
forces  there  were  disbanded,  as  being  too  great  a  charge. 
The  assembly  appointed  small  parties  of  light  horse  in  their 
stead,  to  range  by  turns  upon  the  frontiers.  These  being 
chosen  out  of  the  neighboring  inhabitants,  might  afford  to 
serve  at  easier  rates,  and  yet  do  the  business  more  effectu 
ally  ;  they  were  raised  under  the  title  or  name  of  rangers. 

§  127.  After  this  the  Lord  Colepepper  returned  again  for 
England,  his  second  stay  not  being  much  longer  than  the 
first  ;  and  Sir  Henry  Chicheley  being  dead,  he  proclaimed 
his  kinsman,  Mr.  Secretary  Spencer,  president,  though  he 
was  not  the  eldest  member  of  the  council. 

§  128.  The  next  year,  being  1684,  upon  the  Lord  Cole- 
pepper's  refusing  to  return,  Francis,  Lord  Howard  of  Effing- 
ham,  was  sent  over  governor.  In  order  to  increase  his  per 
quisites,  he  imposed  the  charge  of  an  annual  under  seal  of 
twenty  shillings  each  for  school  masters ;  five  pounds  for  law 
yers  at  the  general  court,  and  fifty  shillings  each  lawyer  at 


78  DUTY     ON    LIQ.UORS. 

the  county  courts.  He  also  extorted  an  excessive  fee  for 
putting  the  seal  to  all  probates  of  wills,  and  letters  of  ad 
ministration,  even  where  the  estates  of  the  deceased  were 
of  the  meanest  value.  Neither  could  any  be  favored  with 
such  administration,  or  probate,  without  paying  that  extor 
tion.  If  any  body  presumed  to  remonstrate  against  it,  his 
lordship's  behavior  towards  that  man  was  very  severe.  He 
kept  several  persons  in  prison  and  under  confinement,  from 
court  to  court,  without  bringing  them  to  trial.  Which  pro 
ceedings,  and  many  others,  were  so  oppressive,  that  com 
plaints  were  made  thereof  to  the  king,  and  Colonel  Philip 
Ludwell  was  appointed  agent  to  appear  against  him  in 
England.  Whereupon  the  seal-money  was  taken  off. 

§  129.  During  the  first  session  of  assembly  in  this  noble 
lord's  time,  the  duty  on  liquors  imported  from  the  other 
English  plantations,  was  first  imposed.  It  was  then  laid, 
on  pretence  of  lessening  the  levy  by  the  poll,  for  payment 
of  public  taxes  ;  but  more  especially  for  rebuilding  the  State 
house,  which  had  not  been  rebuilt  since  Laurence  burnt  it 
in  Bacon's  time. 

This  duty  was  at  first  laid  on  wine  and  rum  only,  at 
the  rate  of  thiee  pence  per  gallon,  with  an  exemption  of 
all  such  as  should  be  imported  in  the  ships  of  Virginia 
owners.  But  the  like  duty  has  since  been  laid  on  other 
liquors  also,  and  is  raised  to  four  pence  per  gallon  on  wine 
and  rum,  and  one  penny  per  gallon  on  beer,  cider,  lime- 
juice,  &c.;  and  the  privilege  of  Virginia  owners  taken 
away,  to  the  great  discouragement  of  their  shipping  and 
home  trade. 

§  130.  This  lord,  though  he  pretended  to  no  great  skill 
in  legal  proceedings,  yet  he  made  great  innovations  in  their 
courts,  pretending  to  follow  the  English  forms.  Thus  he 
created  a  new  court  of  chancery  distinct  from  the  general 
court,  who  had  ever  before  claimed  that  jurisdiction.  He 
erected  himself  into  a  lord  chancellor,  taking  the  gentlemen 
of  the  council  to  sit  with  him  as  mere  associates  and  ad 
visers,  not  having  any  vote  in  the  causes  before  them.  And 


PROJECT   FOR    A    COLLEGE.  79 

that  it  might  have  more  the  air  of  a  new  court,  he  would 
not  so  much  as  sit  in  the  State  house,  where  all  the 
other  public  business  was  dispatched,  but  took  the  dining- 
room  of  a  large  house  for  that  use.  He  likewise  made 
arbitrary  tables  of  fees,  peculiar  to  this  high  court.  How 
ever,  his  lordship  not  beginning  this  project  very  long  before 
he  left  the  country,  all  these  innovations  came  to  an  end 
upon  his  removal,  and  the  jurisdiction  returned  to  the  gen 
eral  court  again,  in  the  time  of  Colonel  Nathaniel  Bacon, 
whom  he  left  president. 

§131.  During  that  gentleman's  presidency,  which  began 
Anno  1689,  the  project  of  a  college  was  first  agreed  upon. 
The  contrivers  drew  up  their  scheme,  and  presented  it  to 
the  president  and  council.  This  was  by  them  approved,  and 
referred  to  the  next  assembly.  But  Colonel  Bacon's  admin 
istration  being  very  short,  and  no  assembly  called  all  the 
while,  this  pious  design  could  proceed  no  farther. 

§  132.  Anno  1690,  Francis  Nicholson,  esq.,  being  ap 
pointed  lieutenant  governor  under  the  Lord  Effing  ham, 
arrived  there.  This  gentleman  discoursed  freely  of  country 
improvements,  instituted  public  exercises,  and  gave  prizes  to 
all  those  that  should  excel  in  the  exercises  of  riding,  run 
ning,  shooting,  wrestling,  and  cudgeling.  When  the  design 
of  a  college  was  communicated  to  him,  he  promised  it  all 
imaginable  encouragement.  The  first  thing  desired  of  him 
in  its  behalf,  was  the  calling  of  an  assembly,  but  this  he 
could  by  no  means  agree  to,  being  under  obligations  to  the 
Lord  Efrmgham  to  stave  ofT  assemblies  as  long  he  could, 
for  fear  there  might  be  farther  representations  sent  over 
against  his  lordsfiip,  who  was  conscious  to  himself  how  un 
easy  the  country  had  been  under  his  despotic  administration. 

§  133.  When  that  could  not  be  obtained,  then  they  pro 
posed  that  a  subscription  might  pass  through  the  colony, 
to  try  the  humor  of  the  people  in  general,  and  see  what 
voluntary  contributions  they  could  get  towards  it.  This  he 
granted,  and  he  himself,  together  with  the  council,  set  a 
generous  example  to-  the  other  gentlemen  of  the  country, 


80  CHARTER    GRANTED     FOR   THE    COLLEGE. 

so  that  the  subscriptions  at  last  amounted  to  about  two 
thousand  five  hundred  pounds,  in  which  sum  is  included 
the  generous  benevolences  of  several  merchants  of  London. 

§134.  Anno  1691,  an  assembly  being  called,  this  design 
was  moved  to  them,  and  they  espoused  it  heartily  ;  and 
soon  after  made  an  address  to  king  William  and  queen 
Mary  in  its  behalf,  and  sent  the  Rev.  Mr.  James  Blair 
their  agent  to  England  to  solicit  their  majesties  charter 
for  it. 

It  was  proposed  that  three  things  should  be  taught  in 
this  college,  viz.,  languages,  divinity,  and  natural  phil 
osophy. 

The  assembly  was  so  fond  of  Governor  Nicholson  at  that 
time,  that  they  presented  him  with  the  sum  of  three  hun 
dred  pounds,  as  a  testimony  of  their  good  disposition  towards 
him.  But  he  having  an  instruction  to  receive  no  present 
from  the  country,  they  drew  up  an  address  to  their  majes 
ties,  praying  that  he  might  have  leave  to  accept  it,  which 
was  granted,  and  he  gave  one  half  thereof  to  the  college. 

§  135.  Their  majesties  were  well  pleased  with  that  pious 
design  of  the  plantation,  and  granted  a  charter,  according 
to  the  desire  of  Mr.  Blair  their  agent. 

Their  majesties  were  graciously  pleased  to  give  near  two 
thousand  pounds  sterling,  the  balance  then  due  upon  the 
account  of  quit-rents,  towards  the  founding  the  college  ; 
and  towards  the  endowing  of  it,  they  allowed  twenty  thou 
sand  acres  of  choice  land,  together  with  the  revenue  arising 
by  the  penny  per  pound  on  tobacco  exported  from  Virginia 
and  Maryland  to  the  other  plantations. 

It  was  a  great  satisfaction  to  the  archbishops  and  bishops, 
to  see  such  a  nursery  of  religion  founded  in  that  new 
world,  especially  for  that  it  was  begun  in  an  episcopal 
way,  and  carried  on  wholly  by  zealous  conformists  to  the 
Church  of  England. 

§  136.  In  this  first  assembly,  Lieutenant  Governor  Nich 
olson  passed  acts  for  encouragement  of  the  linen  manufac- 


SIR  EDMUND  ANDROS,  GOVERNOR.  SI 

ture,  and  to  promote  the  leather  trade  by  tanning,  currying, 
and  shoe  making.  He  also  in  that  session  passed  a  law 
for  cohabitation,  and  improvement  of  trade. 

Before  the  next  assembly  he  tacked  about,  and  was  quite 
the  reverse  of  what  he  was  in  the  first,  as  to  cohabitation. 
Instead  of  encouraging  ports  and  towns,  he  spread  abroad 
his  dislike  of  them  ;.  and  went  among  the  people  finding 
fault  with  those  things  which  he  and  the  assembly  had  unan 
imously  agreed  upon  the  preceding  session.  Such  a  violent 
change  there  was  in  him,  that  it  proceeded  from  some  other 
cause  than  barely  the  inconstancy  of  his  temper.  He  had 
leceived  directions  from  those  English  merchants,  who  well 
knew  that  cohabitation  would  lessen  their  consigned  trade. 

§  13T.  In  February,  1692,  Sir  Edmund  Andros  arrived 
governor.  He  began  his  government  with  an  assembly, 
which  overthrew  the  good  design  of  ports  and  towns  ;  but 
the  groundwork  of  this  proceeding  was  laid  before  Sir  Ed 
mund's  arrival.  However  this  assembly  proceeded  no  far 
ther  than  to  suspend  the  law  till  their  majesties'  pleasure 
should  be  known.  But  it  seems  the  merchants  in  London 
were  dissatisfied,  and  made  public  complaints  against  it, 
which  their  majesties  were  pleased  to  hear  ;  and  afterwards 
referred  the  law  back  to  the  assembly  again,  to  consider 
if  it  were  suitable  to  the  circumstances  of  the  country,  and 
to  regulate  it  accordingly.  But  the  assembly  did  not  then 
proceed  any  farther  in  it,  the  people  themselves  being  in 
fected  by  the  merchants'  letters. 

§  138.  At  this  session  Mr.  Neal's  project  for  a  post-office, 
and  his  patent  of  post-master-general  in  ihose  parts  of 
America,  were  presented.  The  assembly  made  an  act  to 
promote  that  design  ;  but  by  reason  of  the  inconvenient 
distance  of  their  habitations,  and  want  of  towns,  this  project 
fell  to  nothing. 

§  139.    With  Sir  Edmund  Andros,  was  sent  over  the  col 
lege    charter  ;    and   the    subsequent    assembly   declared,    that 
the  subscriptions  which  had  been  made  to  the  college  were 
due,   and   immediately   demandable.  •  They   likewise   gave  a 
11 


82          ENCOURAGEMENT  OF  MANUFACTURES. 

duty  on  the  exportation  of  skins  and  furs,  for  its  more  plen 
tiful  endowment,  and  the  foundation  of  the  college  was 
laid. 

The  subscription  money  did  not  come  in  with  the  same 
readiness  with  which  it  had  been  underwritten.  However 
there  was  enough  given  by  their  majesties,  and  gathered 
from  the  people,  to  keep  all  hands  at  work  and  carry  on 
the  building,  the  foundation  whereof  they  then  laid  j  and 
the  rest,  upon  suit,  had  judgment  given  against  them. 

§140.  Sir  Edmund  Andros  was  a  great  encourager  of 
manufactures.  In  his  time  fulling-mills  were  set  up  by  act 
of  assembly.  He  also  gave  particular  marks  of  his  favor 
towards  the  propagating  of  cotton,  which  since  his  time  has 
been  much  neglected.  He  was  likewise  a  great  lover  of 
method  and  dispatch  in  all  sorts  of  business,  which  made 
him  find  fault  with  the  management  of  the  secretary's  office. 
And,  indeed,  with  very  good  reason;  for  from  the  time  of 
Bacon's  rebellion  till  then,  there  never  was  any  office  in 
the  world  more  negligently  kept.  Several  patents  of  land 
were  entered  blank  upon  record  j  many  original  patents,  re 
cords  and  deeds  of  land,  with  other  matters  of  great  conse 
quence,  were  thrown  loose  about  the  office,  and  suffered  to 
be  dirtied,  torn,  and  eaten  by  the  moths  and  other  insects. 
But  upon  this  gentleman's  accession  to  the  government,  he 
immediately  gave  directions  to  reform  all  these  irregularities  ; 
he  caused  the  loose  and  torn  records  of  value  to  be  tran 
scribed  into  new  books,  and  ordered  conveniences  to  be  built 
within  the  office  for  preserving  the  records  from  being  lost 
and  confounded  as  before.  He  prescribed  methods  to  keep 
the  papers  dry  and  .clean,  and  to  reduce  them  into  such  or 
der,  as  that  any  thing  might  be  turned  to  immediately. 
But  all  these  conveniences  were  burnt  soon  after  they  were 
finished,  in  October  1698,  together  with  the  office  itself,  and 
the  whole  State  House.  But  his  diligence  was  so  great  in 
that  affair,  that  though  his  stay  afterward  in  the  country 
was  very  short,  yet  he  caused  all  the  records  and  papers 
which  had  been  saved  -from  the  fire  to  be  sorted  again  and 


FRANCIS     NICHOLSON,    GOVERNOR.  83 

registered  in  order,  and  indeed  in  much  better  order  than 
ever  they  had  been  before.  In  this  condition  he  left  them 
at  his  quitting  the  government. 

He  made  several  offers  to  rebuild  the  State  House  in  the 
same  place ;  and  had  his  government  continued  but  six 
months  longer,  'tis  probable  he  would  have  effected  it  after 
such  a  manner  as  might  have  been  least  burthensome  to  the 
people,  'designing  the  greatest  part  at  his  own  cost. 

§141.  Sir  Edmund  Andros  being  upon  a  progress  one 
summer,  called  at  a  poor  man's  house  in  Stafford  county  for 
water.  There  came  out  to  him  an  ancient  woman,  and 
with  her  a  lively  brisk  lad  about  twelve  years  old.  The 
lad  was  so  ruddy  and  fair  that  his  complexion  gave  the  go 
vernor  a  curiosity  to  ask  some  questions  concerning  him  ; 
and  to  his  great  surprise  was  told  that  he  was  the  son  of 
that  woman  at  76  years  of  age.  His  excellency,  smiling  at 
this  improbability,  enquired  what  sort  of  man  had  been  his 
father?  To  this  the  good  woman  made  no  reply,  but  in 
stantly  ran  and  led  her  husband  to  the  door,  who  was  then 
above  100  years  old.  He  confirmed  all  that  the  woman 
had  said  about  the  lad,  and,  notwithstanding  his  great  age, 
was  strong  in  his  limbs  and  voice  ;  but  had  lost  his  sight. 
The  woman  for  her  part  was  without  complaint,  and 
seemed  to  retain  a  vigor  very  uncommcfn  at  her  years.  Sir 
Edmund  was  so  well  pleased  with  this  extraordinary  ac 
count,  that,  after  having  made  himself  known  to  them,  he 
offered  to  take  care  of  the  lad  ;  but  they  would  by  no 
means  be  persuaded  to  part  with  him.  However,  he  gave 
them  20  pounds. 

§  142.  In  November  1698,  Francis  Nicholson,  Esq.,  was 
removed  from  Maryland,  to  be  governor  of  Virginia.  But 
he  went  not  then  with  that  smoothness  on  his  brow  he  had 
carried  with  him  when  he  was  appointed  lieutenant  governor. 
He  talked  then  no  more  of  improving  of  manufactures, 
towns  and  trade.  But  instead  of  encouraging  the  manufac 
tures,  he  sent  over  inhuman  memorials  against  them,  oppo 
site  to  all  reason.  In  one  of  these,  he  remonstrates,  "  that 


84  WILLIAMSBURG    COMMENCED,    1699. 

the  tobacco  of  that  country  often  bears  so  low  a  price,  that 
it  would  not  yield  clothes  to  the  people  that  make  it;"  and 
yet  presently  after,  in  the  same  memorial,  he  recommends  it 
to  the  parliament  "  to  pass  an  act,  forbiding  the  plantations 
to  make  their  own  clothing  ;"  which,  in  other  words,  is  de 
siring  a  charitable  law,  that  the  planters  shall  go  naked. 
In  a  late  memorial  concerted  between  him  and  his  creature 
Col.  Q,uarrey,  'tis  most  humbly  proposed,  "  that  all  the 
English  colonies  on  the  continent  of  North  America  be  re 
duced  under  one  government,  and  under  one  Viceroy  ;  and 
that  a  standing  army  be  there  kept  on  foot  to  subdue  the 
queen's  enemies;"  surmising  that  they  were  intending  to  set 
up  for  themselves. 

§  143.  He  began  his  government  with  a  shew  of  zeal  for 
the  church.  In  the  latter  end  of  his  time,  one  half  of  the 
intended  building,  that  is  two  sides  of  the  square,  was  car 
ried  up  and  finished,  in  which  were  allotted  the  public  hall, 
the  apartments  and  conveniences  for  several  masters  and 
scholars,  and  the  public  offices  for  the  domestics  :  the  mas 
ters  and  scholars  were  also  settled  in  it,  and  it  had  its  reg 
ular  visitations  from  I  he  visjtors  and  governors  thereof. 

§  144.  Soon  after  his  accession  to  the  government,  he  pro 
cured  the  assembly  and  courts  of  judicature  to  be  removed 
from  Jamestown,  where  there  were  good  accommodations 
for  people,  to  Middle  Plantation,  where  there  were  none. 
There  he  flattered  himself  with  the  fond  imagination  of  be 
ing  the  founder  of  a  new  city.  He  marked  out  the  streets 
in  many  places  so  as  that  they  might  represent  the  figure  of 
a  W,  in  memory  of  his  late  majesty  King  William,  after 
whose  name  the  town  was  called  Williamsburg.  There  he 
procured  a  stately  fabric  to  be  erected,  which  he  placed 
opposite  to  the  college,  and  graced  it  with  the  magnificent 
name  of  the  capitol. 

§145  In  the  second  year  of  this  gentleman's  govern 
ment,  there  happened  an  adventure  very  fortunate  for  him, 
which  gave  him  much  credit,  and  that  was  the  taking  of  a 
pirate  within  the  capes  of  that  country. 

It  fell   out   that  several    merchant  ships    were    got  ready, 


FIRST    PIRATE    TAKEN.  85 

and  fallen  down  to  Lynhaven  bay,  near  the  mouth  of 
James  river,  in  order  for  sailing.  A  pirate  being  informed 
of  this,  and  hearing  that  there  was  no  man  of  war  there, 
except  a  sixth  rate,  ventured  within  the  capes,  and  took 
several  of  the  merchant  ships.  But  a  small  vessel  happened 
to  come  down  the  bay,  and  seeing  an  engagement  between 
the  pirate  and  a  merchantman,  made  a  shift  to  get  into  the 
mouth  of  James  river,  where  the  Shoram,  a  fifth  rate  man 
of  war,  was  newly  arrived.  The  sixth  rate,  commanded  by 
Capt.  John  Aldred,  was  then  on  the  careen  in  Elizabeth 
river,  in  order  for  her  return  to  England. 

The  governor  happened  to  be  at  that  time  at  Kiquotan, 
sealing  up  his  letters,  and  Capt.  Passenger,  commander  of 
the  Shoram,  was  ashore,  to  pay  his  respects  to  him.  In 
the  meanwhile  news  was  brought  that  a  pirate  was  within 
the  capes ;  upon  which  the  captain  was  in  haste  to  go 
aboard  his  ship  ;  but  the  governor  stayed  him  a  little,  prom 
ising  to  go  along  with  him.  The  captain  soon  after  asked 
his  excuse,  and  went  ofT,  leaving  him  another  boat,  if  he 
pleased  to  follow.  It  was  about  one  o'clock  in  the  after 
noon  when  the  news  was  brought ;  but  'twac  within  night 
before  his  excellency  went  aboard,  staying  all  that  while 
ashore  upon  some  weighty  occasions.  At  last  he  followed, 
and  by  break  of  day  the  man  of  war  was  fairly  out  be 
tween  the  capes  and  the  pirate  ;  where,  after  ten  hours 
sharp  engagement,  the  pirate  was  obliged  to  strike  and  sur 
render  upon  the  terms  of  being  left  to  the  king's  mercy. 

Now  it  happened  that  three  men  of  this  pirate's  gang 
were  not  on  board  their  own  ship  at  the  time  of  the  surren 
der,  and  so  were  not  included  in  the  articles  of  capitulation, 
but  were  tried  in  that  country.  In  summing  up  the  charge 
against  them  (the  governor  being  present)  the  attorney- 
general  extolled  his  excellency's  mighty  courage  and  con 
duct,  as  if  the  honor  of  taking  the  pirate  had  been  due  to 
him.  Upon  this,  Capt.  Passenger  took  the  freedom  to  in 
terrupt  Mr.  Attorney  in  open  court,  and  said  that  he  was 
commander  of  the  Shoram  ;  that  the  pirates  were  his  prison- 


8(5 


ers  ;  and  that  no  body  had  pretended  to  command  in  that 
engagement  but  himself:  he  farther  desired  that  the  gover 
nor,  who  was  then  present,  would  do  him  the  justice  to 
confess  whether  he  had  given  the  least  word  of  command 
all  that  day,  or  directed  any  one  thing  during  the  whole 
fight.  This,  his  excellency  acknowledged,  was  true  ;  and 
fairly  yielded  the  honor  of  that  exploit  to  the  captain. 

§  146.  This  governor  likewise  gained  some  reputation  by 
another  instance  of  his  management,  whereby  he  let  the 
world  know  the  violent  passion  he  had  to  publish  his  own 
fame. 

To  get  honor  in  New  York,  he  had  zealously  recommen 
ded  to  the  court  of  England  the  necessity  that  Virginia 
should  contribute  a  certain  quota  of  men,  or  else  a  sum  of 
money,  towards  the  building  and  maintaining  a  fort  at  New 
York.  The  reason  he  gave  for  this,  was,  because  New 
York  was  their  barrier,  and  as  such,  it  was  but  justice  they 
should  help  to  defend  it.  This  was  by  crder  of  his  late 
majesty  King  William  proposed  to  the  assembly  ;  but  upon 
the  most  solid  reasons  they  humbly  remonstrated,  tl  that 
neither  the  forts  then  in  being,  nor  any  other  that  might  be 
built  in  the  province  of  New  York,  could  in  the  least  avail 
to  the  defence  and  security  of  Virginia  ;  for  that  either  the 
French  or  the  northern  Indians  might  invade  that  colony, 
and  not  come  within  an  hundred  miles  of  any  such  fort." 
The  truth  of  these  objections  are  obvious  to  any  one  that 
ever  looked  on  the  maps  of  that  part  of  the  world.  But 
the  secret  of  the  whole  business  in  plain  terms  was  this  : 
Those  forts  were  necessary  for  New  York,  to  enable  that 
province  to  engross  the  trade  of  the  neighbor  Indians,  which 
Virginia  had  sometimes  shared  in,  when  the  Indians  ram 
bled  to  the  southward. 

Now  the  glory  Col.  Nicholson  got  in  that  affair  was  this  : 
after  he  had  represented  Virginia  as  republican  and  rebel 
lious  for  not  complying  with  his  proposal,  he  said  publicly 
that  New  York  should  not  want  the  900  pounds,  though 


NICHOLSON    AND    Q.UARRY.  87 

he  paid  it  out  of  his  own  pocket,  and  soon  after  toot  a 
journey  to  that  province. 

When  he  arrived  there,  he  blamed  Virginia  very  much, 
but  pretending  earnest  desires  to  serve  New  York,  gave  his 
own  bills  of  exchange  for  900  pounds  to  the  aforesaid  use, 
but  prudently  took  a  defeasance  from  the  gentleman  to 
whom  they  were  given,  specifying,  "  that  till  her  majesty 
should  be  graciously  pleased  to  remit  him  the  money  out  of 
the  quit  rents  of  Virginia,  those  bills  should  never  be  made 
use  of."  This  was  an  admirable  piece  of  sham  generosity, 
and  worthy  of  the  great  pains  he.  took  to  proclaim  it.  I 
myself  have  frequently  heard  him  boast  that  he  gave  this 
money  out  of  his  own  pocket,  and  only  depended  on  the 
queen's  bounty  to  repay  him :  though  the  money  is  not 
paid  by  him  to  this  day. 

§  147.  Neither  was  he  contented  to  spread  abroad  this  un 
truth  there  ;  but  he  also  foisted  it  into  a  memorial  of  Col. 
Quarry's  to  the  council  of  trade,  in  which  are  these  words  : 
"  As  soon  as  Governor  Nicholson  found  the  assembly  of  Vir 
ginia  would  not  see  their  own  interest,  nor  comply  with 
her  majesty's  orders,  he  went  immediately  to  New  York ; 
and  out  of  his  great  zeal  to  the  queen's  service,  and  the 
security  of  her  province,  he  gave  his  own  bills  for  900 
pounds  to  answer  the  quota  of  Virginia,  wholly  depending 
on  her  majesty's  favor  to  reimburse  him  out  of  the  reve 
nues  in  that  province. 

Certainly  his  excellency  and  Colonel  Quarry,  by  whose 
joint  wisdom  and  sincerity  this  memorial  was  composed, 
must  believe  that  the  council  of  trade  have  very  imperfect 
intelligence  how  matters  pass  in  that  part  of  the  world,  or 
else  they  would  not  presume  to  impose  such  a  banter  upon 
them." 

But  this  is  nothing,  if  compared  with  some  other  pas 
sages  of  that  unjust  representation,  wherein  they  took  upon 
them  to  describe  the  people  of  "  Virginia  to  be  both  numer 
ous  and  rich,  of  republican  notions  and  principles  such  as 
ought  to  be  corrected  and  lowered  in  time  ;  and  that  then, 


88  SLAVES    MADE    REAL    ESTATE. 

or  never,  was  the  time  to  maintain  the  queen's  prerogatives, 
and  put  a  stop  to  those  wrong,  pernicious  notions  which 
were  improving  daily,  not  only  in  Virginia  but  in  all  her 
majesty's  other  governments.  A  frown  now  from  her  ma 
jesty  will  do  more  than  an  army  hereafter,"  &c. 

With  those  inhuman,  false  imputations,  did  those  gen 
tlemen  afterwards  introduce  the  necessity  of  a  standing 
army. 

§148.  Thus  did  this  gentleman  continue  to  rule  till 
August  1705,  when  Edward  Nott,  esq.,  arrived  governor, 
and-  gave  ease  to  the  country  by  a  mild  rule.  His  commis 
sion  was  to  be  governor-general,  but  part  of  his  salary  was 
paid  my  Lord  Orkney  as  chief.  Governor  Nott  had  the  gen 
eral  commission  given  him,  because  it  was  suggested  that^ 
that  method,  viz  :  the  supreme  title,  would  give  the  greater 
awe,  and  the  better  put  the  country  to  rights. 

§  149.  Governor  Nott  called  an  assembly  the  fall  after 
his  arrival,  who  passed  the  general  revisal  of  the  laws, 
which  had  been  too  long  in  hand.  But  that  part  of  it 
which  related  to  the  church  and  clergy  Mr.  Commissary 
could  not  be  pleased  in  ;  wherefore  that  bill  was  dropt, 
and  so  it  lies  at  this  day. 

§  150.  This  assembly  also  passed  a  new  law  for  ports 
and  towns,  grounding  it  only  upon  encouragements,  accord 
ing  to  her  majesty's  letter  to  that  purpose.  But  it  seems 
this  also  could  not  please  the  Virginia  merchants  in  Eng 
land,  for  they  complained  against  it  to  the  crown,  and  so 
it  was  also  suspended. 

§151.  This  assembly  also  passed  the  law  making  slaves 
a  real  estate,  which  made  a  great  alteration  in  the  nature 
of  their  estates,  and  becomes  a  very  good  security  for 
orphans  whose  parents  happened  to  die  intestate. 

§152.  This  assembly  also  voted  a  house  to  be  built  for 
the  governor's  residence,  and  laid  duties  to  raise  the  money 
for  it.  But  his  excellency  lived  not  to  see  much  effected 
therein,  being  taken  off  by  death  in  August  1706.  In  the 


LIEUTENANT-GOVERNOR    ALEXANDER    SPOTSWOOD.          89 

first  year  of  his  government  the  college  was  burnt  down  to 
the  ground. 

§  153.  After  this  governor's  death,  their  being  no  other 
nominated  by  her  majesty  to  succeed  him,  the  government 
fell  into  the  hands  of  Edmund  Jenings,  Esq.,  the  presi 
dent,  and  the  council,  who  held  no  assembly  during  his 
time,  neither  did  anything  of  note  happen  here.  Only  we 
heard  that  Brigadier  Robert  Hunter  received  commission  to 
be  lieutenant-governor  under  George,  Earl  of  Orkney,  the 
chief,  and  set  out  for  Virginia,  but  was  taken  prisoner  into 
France. 

§  154.  During  Brigadier  Hunter's  confinement  in  France, 
a  new  commission  issued  to  Colonel  Alexander  Spotswood 
to  be  lieutenant-governor,  who  arrived  here  in  Anno  1710. 
He,  to  the  extraordinary  benefit  of  this  country,  still  con 
tinues  governor,  having  improved  it  beyond  imagination. 
His  conduct  has  produced  wonders.  But  it  would  not  be 
come  me  to  affront  his  modesty  by  publishing  those  innumer 
able  benefits  of  his  administration  to  his  face  j  therefore  I 
shall  leave  them  to  adorn  the  brighter  history  of  some  abler 
penman. 


BOOK  II. 


OF  THE  NATURAL  PRODUCT  AND  CONVENIENCES  OF 
VIRGINIA   IN   ITS   UNIMPROVED  STATE,  BE 
FORE   THE  ENGLISH  WENT  THITHER. 


CHAPTER    I. 


OF    THE    BOUNDS    AND    COAST     OF    VIRGINIA. 

§1.  Virginia,  as  you  have  heard  before,  was  a  name  at 
first  given  to  all  the  northern  part  of  the  continent  of  Amer 
ica  ;  and  when  the  original  grant  was  made,  both  to  the 
first  and  second  colonies,  that  is,  to  those  of  Virginia  and 
New  England,  they  were  both  granted  under  the  name  of 
Virginia.  And  afterwards,  when  grants  for  other  new  col 
onies  were  made  by  particular  names,  those  names  for  a 
long  time  served  only  to  distinguish  them  as  so  many  parts 
of  Virginia  ;  and  until  the  plantations  became  more  familiar 
to  England,  it  was  so  continued.  But  in  process  of  time, 
the  name  of  Virginia  was  lost  to  all  except  to  that  tract  of 
land  lying  along  the  bay  of  Chesapeake,  and  a  little  to  the 
southward,  in  which  are  included  Virginia  and  Maryland  ; 
both  which,  in  common  discourse,  are  still  very  often  meant 
by  the  name  of  Virginia 

The  least  extent  of  bounds  in  any  of  the  grants  made 
to  Virginia,  since  it  was  settled,  and  which  we  find  upon 
record  there,  is  two  hundred  miles  north  from  Point  Com 
fort,  and  two  hundred  miles  south,  winding  upon  the  sea 


BOUNDS    AND    COAST    OF    VIRGINIA.  91 

coast  to  the  eastward,  and  including  all  the  land  west  and 
northwest^  from  sea  to  sea,  with  the  islands  on  both  seas, 
within  an  hundred  miles  of  the  main.  But  these  extents, 
both  on  the  north  and  south,  have  been  since  abridged  by 
the  proprietary  grants  of  Maryland  on  the  north,  and  ^Ca 
rolina  on  the  south. 

§  2  The  entrance  into  Virginia  for  shipping  is  by  the 
mouth  of  Chesapeake  bay,  which  is  indeed  more  like  a 
river  than  a  bay  j  for  it  runs  up  into  the  land  about  two 
hundred  miles,  being  everywhere  near  as  wide  as  it  is  at 
the  mouth,  and  in  many  places  much  wider.  The  mouth 
thereof  is  about  seven  leagues  over,  through  which  all  ships 
pass  to  go  to  Maryland. 

The  coast  is  a  bold  and  even  coast,  with  regular  sound 
ings,  and  is  open  all  the  year  round  ;  so  that,  having  the 
latitude,  which  also  can  hardly  be  wanted  upon  a  coast 
where  so  much  clear  weather  is,  any  ship  may  go  in  by 
soundings  alone,  by  day  or  night,  in  summer  or  in  win 
ter,  and  need  not  fear  any  disaster,  if  the  mariners  under 
stand  anything  ;  for,  let  the  wind  blow  how  it  will,  and 
chop  about  as  suddenly  as  it  pleases,  any  master,  though 
his  ship  be  never  so  dull,  -has  opportunity,  (by  the 
evenness  of  the  coast,)  either  of  standing  off  and  clearing 
the  shore,  or  else  of  running  into  safe  harbor  within  the 
capes.  A  bolder  and  safer  coast  is  not  known  in  the  uni 
verse  ;  to  which  conveniencies,  there  is  the  addition  of  good 
anchorage  all  along  upon  it,  without  the  capes. 

§3.    Virginia,  in  the   most   restrained  sense,   distinct   from 
Maryland,   is   the   spot   to   which   I   shall   altogether    confine 
this   description  ;    though   you    may    consider,    at    the    same 
time,  that   there    cannot  be    much    difference    between    this 
and   Maryland,   they  being  contiguous  one   to  the  other,  ly 
ing   in   the   same   bay,  producing   the   same   sort  of  commo- 
;    dities,  and  being  fallen  into  the  same  unhappy  form  of  set- 
i    dements,  altogether  upon  country  seats,  without  towns.     Vir 
ginia,   thus   considered,   is   bounded   on   the   south   by  North 
Carolina,  on   the  north  by   Potomac  river,   which   divides  it 


6  BOUNDS    AND    COAST    OF    VIRGINIA. 

i 

from  Maryland,  on  the  east  by  the  main  ocean,  called  the 
Virginia  seas,  and  on  the  west  and  northwest  by  the  Cali- 
fornian  sea,  whenever  the  settlements  shall  be  extended  so 
far,  or  now  by  the  river  Mississippi. 

This  part  of  Virginia,  now  inhabited,  if  we  consider  the 
improvements  in  the  hands  of  the  English,  it  cannot  upon 
that  score  be  commended  ;  but  if  we  consider  its  natural 
aptitude  to  be  improved,  it  may  with  justice  be  accounted 
one  of  the  finest  countries  in  the  world.  Most  of  the  na 
tural  advantages  of  it,  therefore,  I  shall  endeavor  to  disco 
ver,  and  set  in  their  true  light,  together  with  its  inconve 
niences,  and  afterwards  proceed  to  the  improvements. 


CHAPTER    II. 


OF   THE    WATERS. 

§  4.  The  largeness  of  the  bay  of  Chesapeake,  I  have 
mentioned  already.  From  one  end  of  it  to  the  other,  there 
is  good  anchorage,  and  so  little  danger  of  a  wreck,  that 
many  masters,  who  have  never  been  there  before,  venture 
up  to  the  head  of  the  bay,  upon  the  slender  knowledge  of 
a  common  sailor.  But  the  experience  of  one  voyage  teaches 
any  master  to  go  up  afterwards  without  a  pilot. 

Besides  this  bay,  the  country  is  watered  with  four  great 
rivers,  viz :  James,  York,  Rappahannock,  and  Potomac  ri 
vers,  all  which  are  full  of  convenient  and  safe  harbors. 
There  are  also  abundance  of  lesser  rivers,  many  of  which 
are  capable  of  receiving  the  biggest  merchant  ships,  viz  : 
Elizabeth  river,  Nansemond,  Chickahominy,  Pocoson^  Pa- 
munkey,  Mattapony,  (which  two  last  are  the  two  upper 
branches  of  York  river,)  North  river,  Eastermost  river,  Co- 
rotoman,  Wiccocomoco,  Pocomoke,  Chissenessick,  Pungo- 
tegue,  and  many  others.  But  because  they  are  so  well  de 
scribed  in  the  large  maps  of  Virginia,  I  shall  forbear  any 
farther  description  of  them. 

These  rivers  are  of  such  convenience,  that  for  almost 
every  half  dozen  miles  of  their  extent,  there  is  a  commo 
dious  and  safe  road  for  a  whole  fleet,  which  gives  oppor 
tunity  to  the  masters  of  ships  to  lie  up  and  down  strag 
gling,  according  as  they  have  made  their  acquaintance,  rid 
ing  before  that  gentleman's  door  where  they  find  the  best 
reception,  or  where  'tis  most  suitable  to  their  business. 

§5.    These  rivers  are  made  up  by  the  conflux  of  an   in-     \i 
finite  number  of  crystal  springs  of  cool  and   pleasant  water, 


94 


OF    THE    WATERS. 


issuing  everywhere  out  of  the  banks  and  sides  of  the  val 
leys.  These  springs  flow  so  plentifully,  that  they  make 
the  river  water  fresh  fifty,  threescore,  and  sometimes  a  hun 
dred  miles  below  the  flux  and  reflux  of  the  tides,  and  some 
times  within  thirty  or  forty  miles  of  the  bay  itself.  The 
conveniences  of  these  springs  are  so  many,  they  are  not  to 
be  numbered.  I  shall  therefore  content  myself  to  mention 
that  one  of  supplying  the  country  elsewhere,  except  in  the 
lowlands,  with  as  many  mills  as  they  can  find  work  for  ; 
and  some  of  these  send  forth  such  a  glut  of  water,  that  in 
less  than  a  mile  below  the  fountain  head,  they  afford  a 
stream  sufficient  to  supply  a  grist  mill,  of  which  there  are 
several  instances. 

§  6.  The  only  mischief  I  know  belonging  to  these  rivers 
is,  that  in  the  month  of  June  annually,  there  rise  up  in  the 
salts,  vast  beds  of  seedling-worms,  which  enter  the  ships, 
sloops  or  boats  wherever  they  find  the  coat  of  pitch,  tar,  or 
lime  worn  off  the  timber,  and  by  degrees  eat  the  plank  into 
cells  like  those  of  a  honey-comb.  These  worms  continue 
thus  upon  the  surface  of  the  water,  from  their  rise  in  June 
until  the  first  great  rains  after  the  middle  of  July,  but  after 
that  do  no  fresh  damage  till  the  next  summer  season,  and 
never  penetrate  farther  than  the  plank  or  timber  they  first 
fix  upon. 

The  damage  occasioned  by  these  worms  may  be  four  se 
veral  ways  avoided. 

1.  By   keeping   the   coat   (of    pitch,   lime    and   tallow,   or 
whatever  else  it   is)   whole    upon   the  bottom  of  the   ship  or 
vessel,   for  these   worms   never   fasten   nor   enter,   but  where 
the   timber   is  naked. 

2.  By   anchoring   the   large   vessel   in  the  strength   of  the 
tide,    during    the    worm    season,    and    hauling    the    smaller 
ashore  ;    for   in    the  current  of  a  strong  tide,  the  worm  can 
not  fasten. 

3.  By  burning  and  cleaning   immediately  after   the   worm 
season   is   over  ;    for   then   they   are   but  just  stuck   into   the 
plank,   and    have   not   buried   themselves  in  it  ;    so   that  the 


OF    THE    WATERS.  95 

least  fire  in  the  world   destroys  them   entirely,   and  prevents 
all   damage  that  would   otherwise   ensue  from   them. 

4.  By  running  up  into  the  freshes  with  the  ship  or  ves 
sel  during  the  five  or  six  weeks  that  the  worm  is  thus 
above  water  ;  for  they  never  enter,  nor  do  any  damage  in 
fresh  water,  or  where  it  is  not  very  salt. 


CHAPTEE    III. 


OP    THE    EARTH    AND    SOILS. 

§  7.  'The  soil  is  of  such  variety,  according  to  the  differ 
ence  of  situation,  that  one  part  or  other  of  it  seems  fitted 
to  every  sort  of  plant  that  is  requisite  either  for  the  be 
nefit  or  pleasure  of  mankind.N  And  were  it  not  for  the  high 
mountains  to  the  northwest,  which  are  supposed  to  retain 
vast  magazines  of  snow,  and  by  that  means  cause  the 
wind  from  that  quarter  to  descend  a  little  too  cold  upon 
them,  'tis  believed  that  many  of  those  delicious  summer 
fruits,  growing  in  the  hotter  climates,  might  be  kept  there 
green  all  the  winter  without  the  charge  of  housing,  or  any 
other  care,  than  what  is  due  to  the  natural  plants  of  the 
country,  when  transplanted  into  a  garden.  But  as  that 
would  be  no  considerable  charge,  any  man  that  is  curious 
might,  with  all  the  ease  imaginable,  preserve  as  many  of 
them  as  would  gratify  a  moderate  luxury  ;  and  the  sum 
mer  affords  genial  heat  enough  to  ripen  them  to  perfec 
tion. 

There  are  three  different  kinds  of  land,  according  to  the 
difference  of  situation,  either  in  the  lower  parts  of  the  coun 
try,  the  middle,  or  that  on  the  heads  of  the  rivers. 
If  I.  The  land  towards  the  mouth  of  the  rivers  is  gene 
rally  of  a  low,  moist,  and  fat  mould,  such  as  the  heavier 
sort  of  grain  delight  in  :  as  rice,  hemp,  Indian  corn,  &c.* 
This  also  is  varied  here  and  there  with  veins  of  a  cold, 
hungry,  sandy  soil,  of  the  same  moisture,  and  very  often 
lying  under  water.  But  this  also  has  its  advantages  ;  for  on 
such  land  generally  grow  the  huckleberries,  cranberries, 
chinkapins,  &c.  These  low  lands  are,  for  the  most  part, 


OP    THE    EARTH    AND    SOILS.  97 

well  stored  with  oaks,  poplars,  pines,  cedars,  cypress  and 
sweet  gums  ;  the  trunks  of  which  aie  often  thirty,  forty, 
fifty,  some  sixty  or  seventy  feet  high,  without  a  branch  or 
limb.  They  likewise  produce  great  variety  of  evergreens, 
unknown  to  me  by  name,  besides  the  beauteous  holly, 
sweet  myrtle,  cedar,  and  the  live  oak,  which  for  three 
quarters  of  the  year  is  continually  dropping  its  acorns,  and 
at  the  same  time  budding  and  bearing  others  in  their  stead. 

2.  The  land  higher    up   the  rivers,  throughout   the   whole 
country,   is  generally   a   level  ground,   with   shallow   valleys, 
full  of    streams   and  pleasant   springs  of  clear   water,   having 
interspersed   here   and   there    among  the    large    levels    some 
small  hills  and   extensive   vales.     The  mould  in  some  places 
is   black,    fat,  and   thick  laid  ;    in   others   looser,  lighter   and 
thin.  V  The   foundation   of  the   mould  is  also  various;    some 
times   clay,   then    gravel   and   rocky    stones,    and    sometimes 
marl.     The    middle   of    the   necks,   or    ridges    between     the 
rivers,  is    generally    poor,   being   either   a    light  sand,   or    a 
white   or    red    clay,   with    a   thin    mould.     Yet    even    these 
places   are   stored   with   chesnuts,    chinkapins,   acorns    of    the 
shrub   oak,   and    a   reedy    grass   in    summer,   very   good   for 
cattle.     The   rich    lands    lie    next   the   rivers    and    branches, 
and    are     stored    with    large    oak,     walnut,     hickory,    ash, 
beech,    poplar,    and    many    other    sorts    of    timber,   of   sur 
prising  bigness. 

3.  The   heads   of    the   rivers    afford   a     mixture     of   hills, 
valleys    and    plains,    some    richer   than   others,    whereof   the 
fruit    and    timber    trees   are   also   various.     In     some    places 
lie   great    plats    of    low    and    very    rich   ground,   well    tim 
bered  ;    in   others,   large    spots   of   meadows    and    savannahs, 
wherein    are    hundreds    of    acres    without    any    tree   at   all, 
but   yields   reeds    and    grass    of    incredible    height  ;    and    in 
the   swamps  and   sunken   grounds   grow   trees    as    vastly    big 
as   I  believe  the   world  affords,   and   stand  so   close  together, 
that  the   branches  or  boughs  of  many  of  them  lock  into  one 
another  ;    but   what  lessens   their   value   is,   that   the   greatest 
bulk   of    them    are    at    some    distance    from    water-carriage. 

13 


98  OF    THE    EARTH    AND    SOILS. 

The  land  of  these  upper  parts  affords  greater  variety  of 
soil  than  any  other,  and  as  great  variety  in  the  founda 
tions  of  the  soil  or  mould,  of  which  good  judgment  may 
he  made  by  the  plants  and  herbs  that  grow  upon  it. 
The  rivers  and  creeks  do  in  many  places  form  very  fine 
large  marshes,  which  are  a  convenient  support  for  their 
flocks  and  herds. 

§  8.  There  is    likewise   found    great   variety   of  earths  for 
physic,   cleansing,  scouring,   and  making  all  sorts  of  potter's 
ware  ;  such  as  antimony,  talk,  yellow  and  red  oker,  fuller's 
earth,   pipe-clay,  and   other  fat    and    fine   clays,   marl,   &c.  ; 
in    a   word,  there   are   all   kinds   of  earth   fit   for   use-. 

They  have  besides,  in  those  upper  parts,  coal  for  firing, 
slate  for  covering,  and  stones  for  building,  and  flat  paving 
in  vast  quantities,  as  likewise  pebble  stones.  Nevertheless, 
it  has  been  confidently  affirmed  by  many,  who  have  been 
in  Virginia,  that  there  is  not  a  stone  in  all  the  country. 
If  such  travelers  knew  no  better  than  they  said,  my  judg 
ment  of  them  is,  that  either  they  were  people  of  extreme 
short  memories,  or  else  of  very  narrow  observation.  For 
though  generally  the  lower  parts  are  flat,  and  so  fiee  from 
stones,  that  people  seldom  shoe  their  horses ;  yet  in  many 
places,  and  particularly  near  the  falls  of  the  rivers,  are 
found  vast  quantities  of  stone,  fit  for  all  kinds  of  uses. 
However,  as  yet,  there  is  seldom  any  use  made  of  them, 
because  commonly  wood  is  to  be  had  at  much  less  trouble  ; 
and  as  for  coals,  it  is  not  likely  they  should  ever  be  used 
there  in  anything  but  forges  and  great  towns,  if  ever  they 
happen  to  have  any,  for,  in  their  country  plantations,  the 
wood  grows  at  every  man's  door  so  fast,  that  after  it  has 
been  cut  down,  it  will  in  seven  years  time  grow  up  again  from 
seed,  to  substantial  fire- wood  ;  and  in  eighteen  or  twenty 
years  it  will  come  to  be  very  good  board  timber. 
f]  §  9.  For  mineral  earths,  it  is  believed  they  have  great 
Aplenty  and  variety,  that  country  being  in  a  good  latitude, 
/and  having  great  appearances  of  them.  It  has  been  proved, 
>*too,  that  they  have  both  iron  and  lead,  as  appears  by 


OF    THE    EARTH    AND    SOILS.  99 

what  was  said  before  concerning  the  iron  works  set  up  at 
Falling  creek  in  James  river,  where  the  iron  proved  reason 
ably  good  ;  but  before  they-  got  into  the  body  of  the  mine, 
the  people  were  cut  off  in  that  fatal  massacre,  and  the 
project  has  never  been  set  on  foot  since,  till  of  late  ;  but 
it  has  not  had  its  full  trial. 

The  golden  mine,  of  which  there  was  once  so  much 
noise,  may,  perhaps,  be  found  hereafter  to  be  some  good 
metal,  when  it  comes  to  be  fully  examined.  But  be  that 
as  it  will,  the  stones  that  are  found  near  it,  in  great  plenty, 
are  valuable,  their  lustre  approaching  nearer  to  that  of  the 
diamond  than  those  of  Bristol  cr  Kerry.  There  is  no  other 
fault  in  them  but  their  softness,  which  the  weather  hard 
ens,  when  they  have  been  sometime  exposed  to  it,  they 
being  found  under  the  surface  of  the  earth.  This  place 
has  now  plantations  on  it. 

This  1  take  to  be  the  place  in  Purchase's  fourth  book  of 
his  pilgrim,  called  Uttamussack,  where  was  formerly  the 
principal  temple  of  the  country,  and  the  metropolitan  seat 
of  the  priests  in  Powhatan's  time.  There  stood  the  three 
great  houses,  near  sixty  feet  in  length,  which  he  reports  to 
have  been  filled  with  the  images  of  their  gods  ;  there  were 
likewise  preserved  the  bodies  of  their  kings.  These  houses 
they  counted  so  holy,  that  none  but  their  priests  and  kings 
durst  go  into  them,  the  common  people  not  presuming, 
without  their  particulai  direction,  to  approach  the  place. 

There  also  was  their  great  Pawcorance,  or  altar  stone, 
which,  the  Indians  tell  us,  was  a  solid  crystal,  of  between 
three  and  four  feet  cube,  upon  which,  in  their  greatest  so 
lemnities,  they  used  to  sacrifice.  This,  they  would  make  us 
believe,  was  so  clear,  that  the  giain  of  a  man's  skin  might 
be  seen  through  it ;  and  was  so  heavy  too  that  when  they 
removed  their  gods  and  kings,  not  being  able,  to  carry  it 
away,  they  buried  it  thereabouts  ;  but  the  place  has  never 
been  yet  discovered. 

Mr.  Alexander  \Vhitlaket,  minister  of  Henrico,  on  James 
river,  in  the  company's  time,  writing  to  them,  says  thus  : 


100  OP    THE    EARTH    AND    SOILS. 

"  Twelve  miles  from  the  falls  there  is  a  crystal  rock, 
wherewith  the  Indians  do  head  many  of  their  arrows  ;  and 
three  days  journey  from  thence,  there  is  a  rock  and  stony 
hill  found,  which  is  on  the  top  covered  over  with  a  perfect 
and  most  rich  silver  ore.  Our  men  that  went  to  discover 
those  parts  had  but  two  iron  pickaxes  with  them,  and  those 
so  ill  tempered  that  the  points  of  them  turned  again,  and 
bowed  at  every  stroke,  so  that  we  could  not  search  the  en 
trails  of  the  place  5  yet  some  trial  was  made  of  that  ore 
with  good  success." 

§10.  Some  people  that  have  been  in  that  country,  with 
out  knowing  any  thing  of  it,  have  affirmed  that  it  is  all  a 
flat,  without  any  mixture  of  hills,  because  they  see  the 
coast  to  seaward  perfectly  level :  or  else  they  have  made 
their  judgment  of  the  whole  country  by  the  lands  lying  on 
the  lower  parts  of  the  rivers,  (which,  perhaps,  they  had 
never  been  beyond,)  and  so  conclude  it  to  be  throughout 
plain  and  even.  When  in  truth,  upon  the  heads  of  the 
great  rivers,  there  are  vast  high  hills ;  and  even  among  the 
settlements  there  are  some  so  topping  that  I  have  stood 
upon  them  and  viewed  the  country  all  round  over  the  tops 
of  the  highest  trees  for  many  leagues  together  ;  particularly, 
there  are  Mawborn  hills  in  the  freshes  of  James  river ;  a 
ridge  of  hills  about  fourteen  or  fifteen  miles  up  Mattapony 
river ;  Toliver's  mount,  upon  Rappahannock  river ;  and  the 
ridge  of  hills  in  Stafford  county,  in  the  freshes  of  Potomac 
river  ;  all  which  are  within  the  bounds  of  the  English  in 
habitants.  But  a  little  farther  backward,  there  are  moun 
tains,  which  indeed  deserve  the  name  of  mountains  for  their 
height  and  bigness  ;  which  by  their  difficulty  in  passing  may 
easily  be  made  a  good  barrier  of  the  country  against  incur 
sions  of  the  Indians,  &c.,  and  shew  themselves  over  the 
tops  of  the  trees  to  many  plantations  at  70  or  80  miles  dis 
tance  very  plain. 

These  hills  are  not  without  their  advantages  ;  for,  out  of 
almost  every  rising  ground,  throughout  the  country,  there 
issue  abundance  of  most  pleasant  streams,  of  pure  and  crys- 


OP    THE    EARTH    AND    SOILS.  lOi 

tal  water,  than  which  certainly  the  world  does  not  afford 
any  more  delicious.  These  are  every  where  to  be  found 
in  the  upper  parts  of  this  country,  and  many  of  them  flow 
out  of  the  sides  of  banks  very  high  above  the  vales,  which 
are  the  most  suitable  places  for  gardens — where  the  finest 
water  works  in  the  world  may  be  made  at  a  very  small  ex 
pense. 

There  are  likewise  several  mineral  springs,  easily  discov 
erable  by  their  taste,  as  well  as  by  the  soil  which  they 
drive  out  with  their  streams.  But  I  am  not  naturalist  skil 
ful  enough  to  describe  them  with  the  exactness  they  de 
serve. 


CHAPTER    IT. 


OF    THE    WILD    FRUITS    OF    THE    COUNTRY. 

§11.  Of  fruits  natural  to  the  country,  there  is  great 
abundance;  but  the  several  species  of  them  are  produced 
according  to  the  difference  of  the  soil,  and  the  various  situa 
tion  of  the  country  ;  it  being  impossible  that  one  piece  of 
ground  should  produce  so  many  different  kinds  intermixed. 
Of  the  better  sorts  of  the  wild  fruits  that  I  have  met  with,  I 
will  barely  give  you  the  names,  not  designing  a  natural  his 
tory.  And  when  I  have  done  that,  possibly  I  may  not  men 
tion  one-half  of  what  the  country  affords,  because  I  never 
went  out  of  my  way  to  enquire  after  anything  of  this 
nature. 

§  12.  Of  stoned  fruits,  I  have  met  with  three  good  sorts, 
viz  :  Cherries,  plums  and  persimmons. 

1.  Of  cherries  natural  to  the  country,  and  growing  wild 
In  the  woods,  I  have  seen  three  sorts.  Two  of  these  grow 
upon  trees  as  big  as  the  common  English  white  oak,  where 
of  one  grows  in  bunches  like  grapes.  Both  these  sorts  are 
black  without,  and  but  one  of  them  red  within.  That 
which  is  red  within,  is  more  palatable  than  the  English 
black  cherry,  as  being  without  its  bitterness.  The  other, 
which  hangs  on  the  branch  like  grapes,  is  water  coloied 
within,  of  a  faintish  sweet,  and  greedily  devoured  by  the 
small  birds.  The  thiid  sort  is  called  the  Indian  cherry, 
and  grows  higher  up  in  the  country  than  the  others  do.  It 
is  commonly  found  by  the  sides  of  rivers  and  branches  on 
small  slender  trees,  scarce  able  to  support  themselves,  about 
the  bigness  of  the  peach  trees  in  England.  This  is  cer 
tainly  the  most  delicious  cherry  in  the  world  ;  it  is  of  a 
dark  purple  when  ripe,  and  grows  upon  a  single  stalk  like 


OF    THE    WILD    FRUITS    OF    THE    COUNTRY.  103 

the  English  cherry,  but  is  very  small,  though,  I  suppose,  it 
may  be  made  larger  by  cultivation,  if  anybody  would  mind 
it.  These,  too,  are  so  greedily  devoured  by  the  small 
birds,  that  they  won't  let  them  remain  on  the  tree  long 
enough  to  ripen  ;  by  which  means,  they  are  rarely  known 
to  any,  and  much  more  rarely  tasted,  though,  perhaps,  at 
the  same  time  they  grow  just  by  the  houses. 

2.  The    plums,  which    I    have    observed    to    grow    wild 
there,    are    of    two   sorts,  the  black   and   the   Murrey   plum, 
both   which  are  small,  and  have   much  the  same  relish  with 
the   damson. 

3.  The  persimmon  is  by  Heriot  called  the  Indian   plum  ; 
and   so   Smith,  Purchase,   and  Du  Lake,  call  it  after   him  ; 
but    I    can't   perceive   that    any   of  those   authors   had   ever 
heard  of  the  sorts  I  have  just  now   mentioned,  they   grow 
ing  high   up   in   the   country.     These    persimmons,   amongst 
them,  retain  their  Indian  name.     They  are  of  several  sizes, 
between   the    bigness    of    a   damson    plum    and   a   burgamot 
pear.     The  taste  of  them    is   so   very  rough,  it  is  not  to  be 
endured   till  they   are   fully   ripe,  and  then  they  are   a  plea 
sant  fruit.     Of  these,  some  vertuosi  make  an  agreeable  kind 
of  beer,  to  which  purpose  they  dry   them  in   cakes,  and  lay 
them  up  for  use.     These,  like  most. other  fruits  there,  grow 
as   thick    upon   the   trees   as   ropes   of  onions  :    the  bnnches 
very   often    break   down    by  the  mighty  weight  of   the  fruit. 

§13.  Of  berries  there  is  a  great  variety,  and  all  very 
good  in  their  kinds.  Our  mulberries  are  of  three  sorts,  two 
black  and  one  white  ;  the  long  black  sort  are  the  best,  be 
ing  about  the  bigness  of  a  boy's  thumb  ;  the  other  two 
sorts  are  of  the  shape  of  the  English  mulberry,  short  and 
thick,  but  their  taste  does  not  so  generally  please,  being  of 
a  faintish  sweet,  without  any  tartness.  They  grow  upon 
well  spread,  large  bodied  trees,  which  run  up  surprisingly 
fast.  These  are  the  proper  food  of  the  silk- worm. 

1.  There  grow  naturally  two  sorts  of  currants,  one  red 
and  the  other  black,  more  sweet  than  those  of  the  same 
color  in  England.  They  grow  upon  small  bushes,  or  slen 
der  trees 


104       OP  THE  WILD  FRUITS  OF  THE  COUNTRY . 

2.  There  are  three  sorts  of  hurts,  or  huckleberries,  upon 
bushes,   from    two    to    ten    feet    high.      They   grow   in   the 
valleys  and   sunken   grounds,   having   different   relishes ;   but 
are   all   pleasing   to  the   taste.      The  largest  sort  grow   upon 
the  largest  bushes,  and,  I  think,  are  the  best  berries. 

3.  Cranberries  grow  in  the  low  lands  and    barren  sunken 
grounds,    upon    low    bushes,    like    the    gooseberry,   and    are 
much  of  the  same   size.      They  are  of  a  lively  red,  when 
gathered  and  kept  in  water,  and   make  very  good   tarts.      I 
believe  these  are  the  berries  which   Captain  Smith  compared 
to  the  English   gooseberry,  and   called   Rawcomens  ;  having, 
perhaps,  seen  them  only  on   the  bushes,  where  they  are  al 
ways  very  sour. 

4.  The  wild  raspberry  is  by  some  there  preferred  to  those 
that  were  transplanted   thither   from  England  j   but  I  cannot 
be  of  their  opinion. 

5.  Strawberries    they   have,   as    delicious    as    any  in    the 
world,   and   growing  almost  every  where   in  the  woods  and 
fields.     They  are  eaten  almost  by  all  creatures ;  and  yet  are 
so    plentiful    that   very   few    persons  take   care   to   transplant 
them,  but  can  find  enough  to  fill   their  baskets,  when  they 
have  a  mind,  in  the  deserted  old  fields. 

§14.    There  grow  wild   several   sorts  of  good   nuts,  viz.  ; 
chestnuts,  chinkapins,  hazelnuts,  hickories,  walnuts,  &c. 

1.  Chestnuts  are  found   upon  very   high  trees,  growing  in 
barren   ridges.      They   are   something    less   than   the   French 
chestnut  ;  but,  I  think  not  differing  at  all  in  taste. 

2.  Chinkapins    have   a   taste   something    like   a   chestnut, 
and  grow  in  a  husk  or  bur,  being  of  the  same  sort  of  sub 
stance,  but  not  so  big  as  an  acorn.     They  grow  upon  large 
bushes,  some   about  as   high  as   the   common  apple  trees  in 
England,  and  either  in  the  high  or  low,  but  always  barren 
ground. 

3.  Hazelnuts    are    there    in    infinite    plenty,    in    all    the 
swamps  ;    and  towards  the   heads  of  the   rivers,  whole  acres 
of  them  are  found  upon  the  high  land. 

4.  Hickory   nuts   are  of    several    sorts,   all    growing   upon 
great  trees,  and   in  an   husk,   like  the    French   walnut,  ex- 


OF    THE    WILD    FRUITS    OF    THE    COUNTRY.  105 

cept  that  the  husk  is  not  so  thick,  and  more  apt  to  open. 
Some  of  these  nuts  are  inclosed  in  so  hard  a  shell,  that 
a  light  hammer  will  hardly  crack  them  ;  and  when  they 
are  cracked,  their  kernel  is  fastened  with  so  firm  a  web, 
that  there  is  no  coming  at  it.  Several  other  sorts  I  have 
seen  with  thinner  shells,  whose  kernels  may  be  got  with 
less  trouble.  There  are  also  several  sorts  of  hickories, 
called  pig  nuts,  some  of  which  have  as  thin  a  shell  as 
the  best  French  walnuts,  and  yield  their  meat  very  easily  ; 
they  are  all  of  the  walnut  kind. 

5.  They   have    a   sort   of    walnut    they    call    black    wal 
nuts,  which  are  as  big  again  as  any  I  ever  saw  in  England, 
but  are  very  rank  and  oily,  having  a  thick,  hard,  foul  shell, 
and  come  not  clear  of   the   husk  as   the   walnut   in    France 
doth  ;    but  the   inside  of   the   nut,   and   leaves,  and   growing 
of  the   tree,  declare   it   to   be   of    the   walnut   kind. 

6.  Their   woods   likewise   afford    a  vast  variety  of  acorns, 
seven    sorts   of    which    have    fallen    under    my    observation. 
That  which  grows  upon  the  live  oak,  buds,  ripen    and  drops 
off  the  tree,  almost  the  whole  year  around.     All  their  acorns 
are  very  fat  and  oily  ;    but  the  live  oak  acorn  is  much  more 
so  than  the  rest,  and   I  believe  the  making  of   oil  of  them 
would   turn   to   a   good   account  ;    but   now   they   only   serve 
as  mast  for  the  hogs  and   other  wild  creatures,  as  do  all  the 
other  fruits  aforementioned,   together  with  several   other  sorts 
of    mast    growing    upon    the    beach,    pine   and    other    trees. 
The   same   use   is   made   also   of   diverse  sorts   of   pulse  and 
other  fruits  growing  upon  wild   vines  ;    such  as  peas,  beans, 
vetches,  squashes,  maycocks,  maracocks,  melons,  cucumbers, 
lupines,   and   an   infinity   of    other    sorts    of   fruits,   which   I 
cannot  name. 

§  15.  Grapes  grow  wild  there  in  an  incredible  plenty  and 
variety,  some  of  which  are  very  sweet  and  pleasant  to  the 
taste  ;  others  rough  and  harsh,  and  perhaps  fitter  for  wine 
or  brandy.  I  have  seen  great  trees  covered  with  single 
vines,  and  those  vines  almost  hid  with  the  grapes.  Of  these 
wild  grapes,  besides  those  large  ones  in  the  mountains,  men- 

14 


106       OF  THE  WILD  FRUITS  OF  THE  COUNTRY. 

lioned  by  Batt   in  his   discovery,   I  have   observed   four   very 
different   kinds,   viz  : 

1 .  One  of  these  sorts  grows  among  the  sand  banks  upon 
the  edges  of  the  low  grounds,  and  islands  next  the  bay  and 
sea,  and  also  in  the   swamps  and   breaches   of   the  uplands. 
They  grow  thin  in  small  bunches,  and  upon  very  low  vines. 
These   are   noble  grapes  ;    and   though   they  are  wild   in  the 
woods,  are   as   large  as  the  Dutch  gooseberry.      One   species 
of    them    is    white,   others   purple,    blue   and   black,   but   all 
much  alike  in  flavor  ;    and  some  long,  some  round. 

2.  A    second    kind    is     produced    throughout    the    whole 
country,    in    the    swamps   and   sides    of    hills.      These    also 
grow    upon   small    vines,  and    in    small    bunches  ;     but    are 
themselves  the  largest  grapes,  as   big  as  the  English  bullace, 
and  of   a   rank   taste  when   ripe,   resembling   the  smell -of   a 
fox,     from     whence     they     are     called     fox    grapes.      Both 
these  sorts  make  admirable  tarts,  being  of  a  fleshy  substance, 
and  perhaps,  if   rightly  managed,   might  make  good   raisins. 

3.  There    are   two   species   more  that  are  common  to   the 
whole   country,   some   of    which   are  black,   and   some    blue 
on    the    outside,    and    some   white.     They   grow   upon   vast 
large    vines,   and   bear  very  plentifully.     The    nice    observer 
might  perhaps   distinguish   them   into   several   kinds,   because 
they  differ  in  color,  size,  and  relish  ;  but  I  shall  divide  them 
only  into  two,  viz  :    the  early  and  the  late  ripe.     The  early 
ripe  common  grape  is  much  larger,  sweeter  and  better  than 
the  other.      Of  these  some  are  quite  black,  and  others  blue, 
and   some     white    or    yellow  ;    some  also    ripen  three  weeks 
or  a  month  before  the  other.      The  distance   of  their   ripen 
ing,   is   from   the   latter  end   of   August  to  the  latter   end  of 
October.     The  late   ripe   common   grapes   are   less   than   any 
of  the  other,  neither  are  they  so  pleasant  to  the  taste.     They 
hang    commonly    till    the    latter    end   of    November,    or    till 
Christmas  j    all   that   I   have    seen   of    these   are    black.     Of 
the   former   of  -these   two   sorts,   the   French   refugees   at   the 
Monacan   town    made    a   sort   of    claret,    though    they    were 
gathered  off  of  the  wild  vines  in  the  woods.     I  was*told  by 


OF    THE    WILD    FRUITS    OF   THE    COUNTRY.   '  107 

a  very  good  judge  who  tasted  it,  that  it  was  a  pleasant, 
strong,  and  full  bodied  wine.  From  which  we  may  con 
clude,  that  if  the  wine  was  but  tolerable  good  when  made 
of  the  wild  grape,  which  is  shaded  by  the  woods  from  the 
sun,  it  would  be  much  better  if  produced  of  the  same  grape 
cultivated  in  a  regular  vineyard. 

The  year  before  the  massacre,  Anno  1622,  which  destroyed 
so  many  good  projects  for  Virginia,  some  French  vignerons 
were  sent  thither  to  make  an  experiment  of  their  vines. 
These  people  were  so  in  love  with  the  country,  that  the 
character  they  then  gave  of  it  in  their  letters  to  the  company 
in  England,  was  very  much  to  its  advantage,  namely : 
"That  it  far  excelled  their  own  country  of  Languedoc, 
the  vines  growing  in  great  abundance  and  variety  all  over 
the  land  ;  that  some  of  the  grapes  were  of  that  unusual 
bigness,  that  they  did  not  believe  them  to  be  grapes,  until 
by  opening  them  they  had  seen  their  kernels  j  that  they 
had  planted  the  cuttings  of  their  vines  at  Michaelmas,  and 
had  grapes  from  those  very  cuttings  the  spring  following. 
Adding  in  the  conclusion,  that  they  had  not  heard  of  the 
like  in  any  other  country."  Neither  was  this  out  of  the 
way,  for  I  have  made  the  same  experiment,  both  of  their 
natural  vine  and  of  the  plants  sent  thither  from  England. 

The  copies  of  the  letters,  here  quoted,  to  the  company 
in  England,  are  still  to  be  seen  ;  and  Purchase,  in  his 
fourth  volume  of  pilgrims,  has  very  justly  quoted  some  of 
them. 

§  16.  The  honey  and  sugar  trees  are  likewise  sponta 
neous  near  the  heads  of  the  rivers.  The  honey  tree  bears 
a  thick  swelling  pod,  full  of  honey,  appearing  at  a  distance 
like  the  bending  pod  of  a  bean  or  pea  ;  it  is  very  like  the 
carob  tree  in  the  herbals.  The  sugar  tree  yields  a  kind  of 
sap  or  juice,  which  by  boiling  is  made  into  sugar.  This 
juice  is  drawn  out  by  wounding  the  trunk  of  the  tree,  and 
placing  a  receiver  under  the  wound.  It  is  said  that  the 
Indians  make  one  pound  of  sugar  out  of  eight  pounds  of 
the  liquor.  Some  of  this  sugar  I  examined  very  carefully. 


LOS  OP    THE    WILD    FRUITS     OF    THE    COUNTRY. 

It  was  bright  and  moist,  with  a  large,  full  grain,  the 
sweetness  of  it  being  like  that  of  good  muscovado. 

Though  this  discovery  has  not  been  made  by  the  English 
above  28  or  thirty  years,  yet  it  has  been  known  among 
the  Indians  before  the  English  settled  there.  It  was  found 
out  by  the  English  after  this  manner :  The  soldiers  which 
were  kept  on  the  land  frontiers  to  clear  them  of  the  Indians, 
taking  their  range  through  a  piece  of  low  ground  about 
forty  miles  above  the  then  inhabited  parts  of  Potomac  river, 
and  resting  themselves  in  the  woods  of  those  low  grounds, 
observed  an  inspissate  juice,  like  molasses,  distilling  from  the 
tree.  The  heat  of  the  sun  had  candied  some  of  this  juice, 
which  gave  the  men  a  curiosity  to  taste  it.  They  found  it 
sweet,  and  by  this  process  of  nature  learned  to  improve  it 
into  sugar.  But  the  Christian  inhabitants  are  now  settled 
where  many  of  these  trees  grow,  but  it  hath  not  yet  been 
tried,  whether  for  quantity  or  quality  it  may  be  worth  while 
to  cultivate  this  discovery. 

Thus  the  Canada  Indians  make  sugar  of  the  sap  of  a 
tree.  And  Peter  Martyr  mentions  a  Iree  that  yields  the 
like  sap,  but  without  any  description.  The  eleomeli  of  the 
ancients,  a  sweet  juice  like  honey,  is  said  to  be  got  by 
wounding  the  olive  tree  ;  and  the  East  Indians  extract  a 
sort  of  sugar,  they  call  jagra,  from  the  juice,  or  potable 
liquor,  that  flows  from  the  coco  tree.  The  whole  process 
of  boiling,  graining  and  refining  of  which,  is  accurately 
set  down  by  the  authors  of  Hortus  Malabaricus. 

§17.  At  the  mouth  of  their  rivers,  and  all  along  upon 
the  sea  'and  .bay,  and  near  many  of  their  creeks  and 
swamps,  grows  the  myrtle,  bearing  a  berry,  of  which  they 
make  a  hard  brittle  wax,  of  a  curious  green  color,  which 
by  refining  becomes  almost  transparent.  Of  this~  they  make 
candles,  which  are  never  greasy  to  the  touch,  nor  melt  with 
lying  in  the  hottest  weather  ;  neither  does  the  snuff  of  these 
ever  offend  the  smell  like  that  of  a  tallow  candle  ;  but 
instead  of  being  disagreeable,  if  an  accident  put  a  candle 
out,  it  yields  a  pleasant  fragrancy  to  all  that  are  in  the 


OF    THE    WILD    FRUITS    OF    TtfE    COUNTRY.  109 

room  ;  insomuch,  that  nice  people  often  put  them  out,  01? 
purpose  to  have  the  incense  of  the  expiring  snuff. 

The  melting  of  these  berries  is  said  to  have  been  first 
found  out  by  a  surgeon  in  New  England,  who  performed 
wonderful  tilings,  with  a  salve  made  of  them.  This  dis 
covery  is  very  modern,  notwithstanding  these  countries  have 
been  so  long  settled. 

The  method  of  managing  these  berries  is  by  boiling 
them  in  water,  till  they  come  to  be  entirely  dissolved, 
except  the  stone  or  seed  in  the  middle,  which  amounts 
in  quantity  to  about  half  the  bulk  of  the  berry  ;  the  big 
gest  of  which  is  something  less  than  a  corn  of  pepper. 

There  are  also  in  the  plains,  and  rich  low  grounds  of 
the  freshes,  abundance  of  hops,  which  yield  their  product 
without  any  labor  of  the  husbandman,  in  weeding,  hilling 
or  poling, 

§18.  All  over  the  country  is.  interspersed  here  and  there 
a  surprising  variety  of  curious  plants  and  flowers.  They 
have  a  sort  of  briar,  growing  something  like  the  sarsa- 
parilla.  The  berry  of  this  is  as  big  as  a  pea,  and  as 
round,  the  seed  being  of  a  bright  crimson  color.  It  is 
very  hard,  and  finely  polished  by  nature,  so  that  it  might 
be  put  to  diverse  ornamental  uses,  as  necklaces  are,  &c. 

There  are  several  woods,  plants  and  earths,  which  have 
been  fit  for  the  dying  of  curious  colors.  They  have  the 
puccoon  and  musquaspen,  two  roots,  with  which  the  In 
dians  use  to  paint  themselves  red.  And  a  berry,  which 
grows  upon  a  wild  briar,  dyes  a  handsome  blue.  There 
is  the  sumac  and  the  sassafras,  which  make  a  deep  yel 
low.  Mr.  Heriot  tells  us  of  several  others  which  he  found 
at  Pamtego,  and  gives  the  Indian  names  of  them  ;  but 
that  language  being  not  understood  by  the  Virginians,  I 
am  not  able  to  distinguish  which  he  means.  Particularly 
he  takes  notice  of  wasebiir,  an  herb  ;  chapacour,  a  root ; 
and  tangomockonominge,  a  bark. 

There's  the  snake  root,  so  much  admired  in  England  for 
a  cordial,  and  for  being  a  great  antidote  in  all  pestilential 
distemper? 


110       OF  THE  WILD  FBUITS  OF  THE  COUNTRY. 

There's  the  rattlesnake  root,  to  which  no  remedy  was 
ever  yet  found  comparable  ;  for  it  effectually  cures  the 
bite  of  a  rattlesnake,  which  sometimes  has  been  mortal  in 
two  minutes.  If  this  medicine  be  early  applied,  it  present 
ly  removes  the  infection,  and  in  two  or  three  hours  restores 
the  patient  to  as  perfect  health  as  if  he  had  never  been  hurt. 

The  Jamestown  weed  (which  resembles  the  thorny  apple 
of  Peru,  and  I  take  to  be  the  plant  so  called)  is  supposed 
to  be  one  of  the  greatest  coolers  in  the  world.  This  being 
an  early  plant,  was  gathered  very  young  for  a  boiled  salad, 
Ly  some  of  the  soldiers  sent  thither  to  quell  the  rebellion 
of  Bacon  ;  and  some  of  them  eat  plentifully  of  it,  the  effect 
of  which  was  a  very  pleasant  comedy  ;  for  they  turned  na 
tural  fools  upon  it  for  several  days  :  one  would  blow  up  a 
feather  in  the  air ;  another  would  dart  straws  at  it  with 
much  fury  ;  and  another  stark  naked  was  sitting  up  in  a 
corner,  like  a  monkey,  grinning  and  making  mows  at  them  ; 
a  fourth  would  fondly  kiss  and  paw  his  companions,  and 
snear  in  their  faces,  with  a  countenance  more  antic  than 
any  in  a  Dutch  droll.  In  this  frantic  condition  they  were 
confined,  lest  they  should  in  their  folly  destroy  themselves; 
though  it  was  observed  that  all  their  actions  were  full  of 
innocence  and  good  nature.  Indeed,  they  were  not  very 
cleanly,  for  they  would  have  wallowed  in  their  own  ex 
crements  if  they  had  not  been  prevented.  A  thousand  such 
simple  tricks  they  played,  and  after  eleven  days  returned 
to  themselves  again,  not  remembering  anything  thai  had 
pass  3d. 

Peihaps  this  was  the  same  herb  that  Mark  Antony's 
army  met  with  in  his  retreat  from  the  Parthian  war  and 
siege  of  Phraata,  when  such  as  had  eaten  thereof  em 
ployed  themselves  with  much  earnestness  and  industry  in 
grubbing  up  stones,  and  removing  them  from  one  place 
to  another,  as  if  it  had  been  a  business  of  the  greatest 
consequence.  Wine,  as  the  story  says,  was  found  a  sove 
reign  remedy  for  it,  which  is  likely  enough,  the  malig 
nity  of  this  herb  being  cold. 


OF  THE  WILD  FRUITS  OF  THE  COUNTRY.       Ill 

Of  spontaneous  flowers  they  have  an  unknown  variety  : 
the  finest  crown  imperial  in  the  world  ;  the  cardinal  flower, 
so  much  extolled  for  its  scarlet  color,  is  almost  in  every 
branch  ;  the  moccasin  flower,  and  a  thousand  others  not 
yet  known  to  English  herbalists.  Almost  all  the  year 
round  the  levels  and  vales  are  beautified  with  flowers  of 
one  kind  or  other,  which  make  their  woods  as  fragrant 
as  a  garden.  From  the  materials,  their  wild  bees  "make 
vast  quantities  of  honey,  but  their  magazines  are  very 
often  rifled  by  bears,  raccoons,  and  such  like  liquorish  ver 
min. 

About  the  year  1701,  walking  out  to  take  the  air,  I 
found,  a  little  without  my  pasture  fence,  a  flower  as  big 
as  a  tulip,  and  upon  a  stalk  resembling  the  stalk  of  a 
tulip.  The  flower  was  of  a  flesh  color,  having  a  down 
upon  one  end,  while  the  other  was  plain.  The  form  of 
it  resembled  the  pudenda  of  a  man  '  and  woman  lovingly 
joined  in  one.  Not  long  after  I  had  discovered  this  rarity, 
and  while  it  was  still  in  bloom,  [  drew  a  grave  gentle 
man,  about  an  hundred  yards  out  of  his  way,  to  see  this 
curiosity,  not  telling  him  anything  more  than  that  it  was 
a  rarity,  and  such  perhaps  as  he  had  never  seen  nor 
heard  of.  When  we  arrived  at  the  place,  T.  gathered  one 
of  them,  and  put  it  into  his  hand,  which  he  had  no 
sooner  cast  his  eye  upon,  but  he  threw  it  away  with  in 
dignation,  as  being  ashamed  of  this  waggery  of  nature.  It 
was  impossible  to  persuade  him  to  touch  it  again,  or  so 
much  as  to  squint  towards  so  immodest  a  representation. 
Neither  would  I  presume  to  mention  such  an  indecency, 
but  that  I  thought  it  unpardonable  to  omit  a  production 
so  extraordinary. 

There  is  also  found  the  fine  tulip-bearing  laurel  tree, 
which  has  the  pleasantest  smell  in  the  world,  and  keeps 
blossoming  and  seeding  several  months  together.  It  de 
lights  much  in  gravelly  branches  of  chrystal  streams,  and 
perfumes  the  very  woods  with  its  odor.  So  also  do  the 
large  tulip  tree,  which  we  call  a  poplar,  the  locust,  which 


112       OF  THE  WILD  FRUITS  OF  *THE  COUNTRY. 

resembles  much  the  jasmine,  and  the  perfuming  crab  tree, 
during  their  season.  With  one  sort  or  other  of  these,  as 
well  as  many  other  sweet-flowering  trees  not  named,  the 
vales  are  almost  everywhere  adorned,  and  yield  a  sur 
prising  variety  to  divert  the  traveler. 

They  find  a  world  of  medicinal  plants  likewise  in  that 
country,  and  amongst  the  rest  the  planters  pretend  to  have 
a  swamp-root,  which  infallibly  cures  all  fevers  and  agues. 
The  baik  of  the  sassafras  tree  and  wild  cherry  tree  have 
been  experimented  to  partake  very  much  of  the  virtue  of 
the  cortex  peruviana.  The  bark  of  the  root,  of  that  which 
we  call  the  prickly  ash,  being  dried  and  powdered,  has 
been  found  to  be  a  specific  in  old  ulcers  and  long  run 
ning  sores.  Infinite  is  the  number  of  other  valuable  vege 
tables  of  every  kind  ,•  but  natural  history  not  having  been 
my  study,  I  am  unwilling  to  do  wrong  to  my  subject  by 
an  unskillful  description. 

§  19.  Several  kinds  of  the  creeping  vines  bearing  fruit, 
the  Indians  planted  in  their  gardens  or  fields,  because  they 
would  have  plenty  of  them  always  at  hand  ;  such  as  musk- 
melons,  watermelons,  pompions,  cushaws,  macocks  and 
gourds. 

1.  Their    muskmelons    resemble    the    large    Italian   kind, 
and    generally   fill   four  or  five   quarts. 

2.  Their    watermelons   were  much  more   large,  and  of  se 
veral   kinds,   distinguished    by    the   color   of   their   meat   and 
seed;   some  are  red,  some  yellow,  and  others  white  meated; 
and   so   of  the  seed,  some   are  yellow,  some  red,  and  some 
black  ;   but   these   are   never   of  different  colors  in  the   same 
melon.     This   fruit    the     Muscovites   call   arpus  ;  the    Turks 
and   Tartars  karpus,    because    they    are    extremely    cooling. 
The   Persians   call    them   hindnanes,   because    they   had   the 
first    seed   of  them   from    the   Indies.     They   are   excellently 
good,   and   very   pleasant  to  the   taste,   as    also   to   the   eye  ; 
having   the   rind   of  a  lively   green   color,   streaked   and   wa 
tered,   the    meat  of  a  carnation,   and    the    seed    black    and 
shining,  while  it  lies  in    the   melon. 


OF  THE  WILD  FRUITS  OP  THE  COUNTRY.       113 

3.  Their    pompions    I    need    not    describe,   but   must  say' 
they   are   much   larger  and   finer   than  any   I    ever   heard  of 
in  England. 

4.  Their   cushaws    are    a    kind   of  pompion,   of   a  bluish 
green   color,    streaked    with    white,   when    they    are    fit    for 
use.     They    are    larger    than    the    pornpions,    and    have    a 
long   narrow   neck.     Perhaps    this   may   be   the    ecushaw    of 
T.    Harriot. 

5.  Their    macocks   are    a    sort   of    melopepones,    or  lesser 
sort  of  pompion   or  cushaw.     Of  these   they   have   great   va 
riety  ;    but  the  Indian   name   macock   serves   for   all,   which 
name  is  still   retained   among   them.     Yet   the   clypeatse    are 
sometimes   called   cymnels,   (as   are  some   others   also,)  from 
the  lenten   cake   of   that   name,    which   many   of  them  very 
much   resemble.     Squash,  or   squanter-squash,  is   their   name 
among    the   northern   Indians,   and    so    they    are    called   in 
New   York  and   New  England.     These   being  boiled  whole, 
when  the   apple   is   young,   and   the   shell  tender,   and  dish 
ed   with   cream   or  butter,  relish   very  well  with   all   sorts  of 
butcher's    meat,     either    fresh     or    salt.     And    whereas    the 
pompion   is    never    eaten    till    it    be    ripe,   these    are    never 
eaten   after   they   are   ripe. 

6.  The  Indians    never    eat   the    gourds,    but    plant    them 
for     other     uses.     Yet  the    Persians,  who    likewise    abound 
with   this   sort   of  fruit,   eat    the    cucurbita   lagenaris,   which 
they   call    kabach,   boiling    it   while    it    is    green,   before   it 
comes   to    its    full    maturity,     for  when    it   is   ripe   the   rind 
dries,   and   grows  as   hard   as   the    bark   of    a    tree,   and  the 
meat  within   is    so    consumed    and    dried    away,   that   there 
is   then   nothing   left  but   the  seed,   which   the    Indians   lake 
clean   out,  and  afterwards   use   the   shells,   instead   of  flagons 
and   cups,   as   is   done   also    in    several    other    parts    of   the 
world. 

7.  The  maracock,  which  is  the  fruit  of  what  we  call  the 
passion  flower,   our  natives  did    not   take  the  pains  to   plant, 
having    enough    of    it    growing    everywhere,    though     they 
often  eat   it  ;  this  fruit   is   about   the   size   of  a   pullet's  egg. 

15 


114  OP    THE    WILD    FRUITS    OF   THE    COUNTRY. 

§  20.  Besides  all  these,  our  natives  had  originally  amongst 
them  Indian  corn,  peas,  beans,  potatoes  and  tobacco. 
//This  Indian  corn  was  the  staff  of  food  upon  which 
the  Indians  did  ever  depend  ;  for  when  sickness,  baJ  wea 
ther,  war,  or  any  other  ill  accident  kept  them  from  hunt 
ing,  fishing  and  fowling,  this,  with  the  addition  of  some 
peas,  beans,  and  such  other  fruits  of  the  earth,  as  were 
then  in  season,  was  the  family's  dependence,  and  the  sup 
port  of  their  women  and  children. 

There  are  four  sorts  of  Indian  corn :  two  of  which  are 
early  ripe,  and  two  late  ripe,  all  growing  in  the  same 
manner  ;  every  single  grain  of  this  when  planted  produces 
a  tali  upright  stalk,  which  has  several  ears  hanging  on 
the  sides  of  it,  from  six  to  ten  inches  long.  Each  ear  is 
wrapt  up  in  a  cover  of  many  folds,  to  protect  it  from  the 
injuries  of  the  weather.  In  every  one  of  these  ears  are 
several  rows  of  grain,  set  close  to  one  another,  with  no 
other  partition  but  of  a  very  thin  husk.  So  that  often 
times  the  increase  of  this  grain  amounts  to  above  a  thou 
sand  for  one. 

The  two  sorts  which  are  early  ripe,  are  distinguished 
only  by  the  size,  which  shows  itself  as  well  in  the  grain 
as  in  the  ear  and  the  stalk.  There  is  some  difference 
also  in  the  time  of  ripening. 

The  lesser  size  of  early  ripe  corn  yields  an  ear  not 
much  larger  than  the  handle  of  a  case  knife,  and  grows 
upon  a  stalk  between  three  and  four  feet  high.  Of  this 
may  be  made  iwo  crops  in  a  year,  and  perhaps  there 
might  be  heat  enough  in  England  to  ripen  it. 

The  larger  sort  differs  from  the  former  only  in  large 
ness,  the  ear  of  this  being  seven  or  eight  inches  long,  as 
thick  as  a  child's  leg,  and  growing  upon  a  stalk  nine 
or  ten  feet  high.  This  is  fit  for  eating  about  the  latter 
end  of  June,  whereas  the  smaller  sort  (generally  speak 
ing)  affords  ears  fit  to  roast  by  the  middle  of  June.  The 
grains  of  both  these  sorts  are  as  plump  and  swelled  as  if 
the  skin  were  readv  to  burst. 


OP    THE    WILD    FRUITS    OF     THE    COUNTRY.  115 

The  late  ripe  corn  is  diversified  by  the  shape  of  the 
grain  only,  without  any  respect  to  the  accidental  differ 
ences  in  color,  some  being  blue,  some  red,  some  yellow, 
some  white,  and  some  streaked.  That  therefore  which 
makes  the  distinction,  is  the  plumpness  or  shriveling  of  the 
grain  ;  the  one  looks  as  smooth  and  as  full  as  the  early 
ripe  corn,  and  this  they  call  flint  corn  ;  the  other  has  a 
larger  grain,  .and  looks  shriveled,  with  a  dent  on  the 
back  of  the  grain,  as  if  it  had  never  come  to  perfection  ; 
and  this  they  call  she  corn.  This  is  esteemed  by  the 
planters  as  the  best  for  increase,  and  is  universally  chosen 
by  them  for  planting  ;  yet  I  can't  see  but  that  this  also 
produces  the  flint  corn,  accidentally  among  the  other. 

All  these  sorts  are  planted  alike  in  rows,  three,  four  or 
five  grains  in  a  hill  ;  the  larger  sort  at  four  or  five  feet 
distance,  the  lesser  sort  nearer.  The  Indians  used  to  give 
it  one  or  two  weedings,  and  make  a  hill  about  it,  and  so 
the  labor  was  done.  They  likewise  plant  a  bean  in  the 
same  hill  with  the  corn,  upon  whose  stalk  it  sustains  itself.  > 

The  Indians  sowed  peas  sometimes  in  the  intervals  of 
the  rows  of  corn,  but  more  generally  in  a  patch  of 
ground  by  themselves.  They  have  an  unknown  variety 
of  them,  (but  all  of  a  kidney  shape,)  some  of  which  I 
have  met  with  wild  ;  but  whence  they  had  their  Indian 
corn  I  can  give  no  account  ;  for  I  don't  believe  that  it 
was  spontaneous  in  those  parts. 

Their  potatoes  are  either  red  or  white,  about  as  long 
as  a  boy's  leg,  and  sometimes  as  long  and  big  as  both 
the  leg  and  thigh  of  a  young  child,  and  very  much  re 
sembling  it  in  shape.  I  take  these  kinds  to  be  the  same 
with  those  which  are  represented  in  the  heibals  to  be 
Spanish  potatoes.  I  am  sure  those  called  English  or  Irish 
potatoes  are  nothing  like  these,  either  in  shape,  color  or 
taste.  The  way  of  propagating  potatoes  there,  is  by  cut 
ting  the  small  ones  to  pieces,  and  planting  the  cuttings  in 
hills  of  loose  earth  ;  but  they  are  so  tender,  that  it  is  very 
difficult  to  preserve  them  in  the  winter,  for  the  least  frost 


1 16       OF  THE  WILD  FRUITS  OF  THE  COUNTRY. 

coming  at  them,  rots  and  destroys  them,  and  therefore 
people  bury  'em  under  ground,  near  the  fire-hearth,  all  the 
winter,  until  the  time  comes  that  their  seedings  are  to  be 
set. 

How  the  Indians  ordered  their  tobacco  I  am  not  certain, 
they  now  depending  chiefly  upon  the  English  for  what 
they  smoke  ;  but  I  am  informed  they  used  to  let  it  all 
run  to  seed,  only  succoring  the  leaves  to  keep  the  sprouts 
from  growing  upon,  and  starving  them  ;  and  when  it  was 
ripe  they  pulled  off  the  leaves,  cured  them  in  the  sun, 
and  laid  them  up  for  use.  But  the  planters  make  a 
heavy  bustle  with  it  now,  and  can't  please  the  market 
neither. 


CHAPTER    V 


OF    THE     FISH. 

§21.  As  for  fish,  both  of  fresh  and  salt  water,  of  shell 
fish,  and  others,  no  country  can  boast  of  more  variety, 
greater  plenty,  or  of  bettei  in  their  several  kinds. 

In  the  spring  of  the  year  herrings  come  up  in  such 
abundance  into  their  brooks  and  fords  to  spawn,  that  it  is 
almost  impossible  to  ride  through  without  treading  on  them. 
Thus  do  those  poor  creatures  expose  their  own  lives  to 
some  hazard,  out  of  their  care  to  find  a. more  convenient 
reception  for  their  young,  which  are  not  yet  alive.  Thence 
it  is  that  at  this  time  of  the  year  the  freshes  of  the 
rivers,  like  that  of  the  Broadruck,  stink  of  fish. 

Besides  these  herrings,  there  come  up  likewise  into  the 
freshes  from  the  sea  multitudes  of  shad,  rock,  sturgeon, 
and  some  few  lampreys,  which  fasten  themselves  to  the 
shad,  as  the  remora  of  Imperatus  is  said  to  do  to  the  shark 
of  Tiburone.  They  continue  their  stay  there  about  three 
months.  The  shads  at  their  first  coming  up  are  fat  and 
fleshy  ;  but  they  waste  so  extremely  in  milting  and  spawn 
ing,  that  at  their  going  down  they  are  poor,  and  seem 
fuller  of  bones,  only  because  they  have  less  flesh.  It  is 
upon  this  account  (I  suppose)  that  those  in  the  Severn, 
which  in  Gloucester  they  call  twaits,  aie  said  at  first  to 
want  those  intermusculary  bones,  which  afterwards  they 
abound  with.  As  these  are  in  the  freshes,  so  the  salts 
afford  at  certain  times  of  the  year  many  other  kinds  of  fish 
in  infinite  shoals,  such  as  the  old-wife,  a  fish  not  much 
unlike  an  herring,  and  the  sheep's-head,  a  sort  of  fish, 
which  they  esteem  in  (he  number  of  their  best. 


US  OF     THE    FISH. 

§  22.  There  is  likewise  great  plenty  of  other  fish  all  the 
summer  long ;  and  almost  in  every  part  of  the  rivers  and 
brooks,  there  are  found  of  different  kinds.  Wherefore  I 
shall  not  pretend  to  give  a  detail  of  them,  but  venture  to 
mention  the  names  only  of  such  as  I  have  eaten  and  seen 
myself,  and'  so  leave  the  rest  to  those  that  are  better  skilled 
in  natural  history.  However,  I  may  add,  that  besides  all 
those  that  I  have  met  with  myself,  I  have  heard  of  a  great 
many  very  good  sorts,  both  in  the  salts  and  freshes  •  and 
such  people,  too,  as  have  not  always  spent  their  time  in 
that  country,  have  commended  them  to  me  beyond  any  they 
had  ever  eat  before. 

Those  which  I  know  of  myself  I  remember  by  the  names 
of  herring,  rock,  sturgeon,  shad,  old- wife,  sheep's-head, 
black  and  red  drum,  trout,  taylor,  green-fish,  sun-fish, 
bass,  chub,  place,  flounder,  whiting,  fatback,  maid,  wife, 
small-turtle,  crab,  oyster,  mussel,  cockle,  shrimp,  needle 
fish,  breme,  carp,  pike,  jack,  mullet,  eel,  conger-eel, 
perch,  and  cat,  &c. 

Those  which  I  remember  to  have  seen  there,  of  the  kinds 
that  are  not  eaten,  are  the  whale,  porpus,  shark,  dog-fish, 
garr,  stingray,  thornback,  saw-fish,  toad-fish,  frog  fish,  land- 
crab,  fiddler,  and  periwinckle.  One  day  as  I  was  hauling 
a  sein  upon  the  sails,  I  caught  a  small  fish  about  two 
inches  and  an  half  long,  in  shape  something  resembling  a 
scorpion,  but  of  a  dirty,  dark  color.  I  was  a  little  shy  of 
handling  it,  though  i  believe  there  was  no  hurt  in  it.  This 
I  judge  to  be  that  fish  which  Mr.  Purchase  in  his  Pilgrims, 
and  Captain  Smith  in  his  General  History,  page  125,  affirm 
to  be  extremely  like  St.  George's  Dragon,  except  only  that 
it  wants  feets  and  wings.  Governor  Spotswood  has  one  of 
them  dried  in  full  shape. 

§  23.  Before  the  arrival  of  the  English  there  the  Indians 
had  fish  in  such  vast  plenty,  that  the  boys  and  girls  would 
take  a  pointed  stick  and  strike  the  lesser  sort  as  they  swam 
upon  the  flats.  The  larger  fish,  that  kept  in  deeper  water, 
they  were  put  to  a  little  more  difficulty  to  take.  But  for 


OF     THE    FISH.  1  19 

these  they  made  weirs,  that  is,  a  hedge  of  small  riv'd  sticks, 
or  reeds,  of  the  thickness  of  a  man's  finger.  These  they 
wove  together  in  a  row,  with  straps  of  green  oak,  or  other 
tough  wood,  so  close  that  the  small  fish  could  not  pass 
through.  Upon  high  water  mark  they  pitched  one  end  of 
this  hedge,  and  the  other  they  extended  into  the  river,  to 
the  depth  of  eight  or  ten  feet,  fastening  it  with  stakes, 
making  cods  out  from  the  hedge  on  one  side  almost  at  the 
end,  and  leaving  a  gap  for  the  fish  to  go  into  them,  which 
were  contrived  so  that  the  fish  could  easily  find  their  pas 
sage  into  those  cods  when  they  were  at  the  'gap,  but  not 
see  their  way  out  again  when  they  were  in.  Thus,  if 
they  offered  to  pass  through,  they  were  taken. 

Sometimes  they  made  such  a  hedge  as  this  quite  across 
a  creek  at  high  water,  and  at  low  would  go  into  the  run, 
then  contracted  into  a  narrow  stream,  and  take  out  what 
fish  they  pleased. 

At  the  falls  of  the  rivers,  where  the  water  is  shallow,  and 
the  current  strong,  the  Indians  use  another  kind  of  weir, 
thus  made  :  They  make  a  dam  of  loose  stone,  whereof 
there  is  plenty  at  hand,  quite  across  the  river,  leaving  one, 
two  •  or  more  spaces  or  tunnels  for  the  water  to  pass 
through  5  at  the  mouth  of  which  they  set  a  pot  of  reeds, 
wove  in  form  of  a  cone,  whose  base  is  about  three  feet, 
and  perpendicular  ten,  into  which  the  swiftness  of  the 
current  carries  the  fish,  and  there  lodges  them. 

The  Indian  way  of  catching  sturgeon,  when  they  came 
inlo  the  narrow  part  of  the  rivers,  was  by  a  man's  clap 
ping  a  noose  over  their  tails,  and  by  keeping  fast  his  hold. 
Thus  a  fish  finding  itself  entangled  would  flounce,  and 
often  pull  the  man  under  water,  and, then  that  man  was 
counted  a  cockarouse,  or  brave  fellow,  that  would  not.  let 
go ;  till  with  swimming,  wading  and  diving,  he  had  tired 
the  sturgeon,  and  brought  it  ashore.  These  sturgeons 
would  also  often  leap  into  their  canoes  in  crossing  the 
river,  as  many  of  them  do  still  every  year  into  the  boats 
of  the  English. 


120  OF     THE    FISH. 

They  have  also  another  way  of  fishing  like  those  on 
the  Euxine  sea,  by  the  help  of  a  blazing  fire  by  night. 
They  make  a  hearth  in  the  middle  of  their  canoe,  raising 
it  within  two  inches  of  the  edge  ;  upon  this  they  lay  their 
burning  lightwood,  split  into  small  shivers,  each  splinter 
whereof  will  blaze  and  burn,  end  for  end,  like  a  candle  : 
7Tis  one  man's  work  to  attend  his  fire  and  keep  it 
flaming.  At  each  end  of  the  canoe  stands  an  Indian, 
with  a  gig  or  pointed  spear,  setting  the  canoe  forward, 
with  the  butt  end  of  the  spear,  as  gently  as  he  can,  by 
that  meanfe  stealing  upon  the  fish  without  any  noise,  or 
disturbing  of  the  water.  Then  they  with  great  dexterity 
dart  these  spears  into  the  fish,  and  so  take  them.  Now 
there  is  a  double  convenience  in  the  blaze  of  this  fire, 
for  it  not  only  dazzles  the  eyes  of  the  fish,  which  will 
lie  still,  glaring  upon  it,  but  likewise  discovers  the  bot 
tom  of  the  river  clearly  to  the  fisherman,  which  the  day 
light  does  not. 

The  following  print,  I  may  justly  affirm  to  be  a  very 
true  representation  of  the  Indian  fishery. 

TAB.  I.  Represents  the  Indians  in  a  canoe  with  a  fire  in 
the  middle,  attended  by  a  boy  and  a  girl.  In  one  end  is  a 
net  made  of  silk  grass,  which  they  use  in  fishing  their 
weirs.  Above  is  the  shape  of  their  weirs,  and  the  manner 
of  setting  a  weir  wedge  across  the  mouth  of  a  creek. 

NOTE.  That  in  fishing  their  weirs  they  lay  the  side  of 
the  canoe  to  the  cods  of  the  weir,  for  the  more  convenient 
coming  at  them,  »nd  not  with  the  end  going  into  the  cods, 
as  is  set  down  in  the  print :  but  we  could  not  otherwise 
represent  it  here,  lest  we  should  have  confounded  the  shape 
of  the  werr  with  the  canoe. 

In  the  air  you  see  a  fishing  hawk  flying  away  with  a 
fish,  and  a  bald  eagel  pursuing  to  take  it  from  him  ;  the 
bald  eagle  has  always  his  head  and  tail  white,  and  they 
carry  such  a  lustre  with  them  that  the  white  thereof  may 
be  discerned  as  far  as  you  can  see  the  shape  of  the  bird, 
and  seems  as  if  it  were  without  feathers,  and  thence  it  has 
its  name  bald  eagle. 


OF     THE     FISH.  121 

§24.  'Tis  a  good  diversion  to  observe,  the  manner  of  the 
fishing-hawk's  preying  upon  fish,  which  may  be  seen  every 
fair  day  all  the  summer  long,  and  especially  in  a  morning. 
At  the  first  coming  of  the  fish  in  the  spring,  these  birds  of 
prey  are  surprisingly  eager.  I  believe,  in  the  dead  of  win 
ter,  they  fish  farther  ofT  at  sea,  or  remain  among  the 
craggy  uninhabited  islands  upon  the  sea  coast.  I  have  often 
been  pleasantly  entertained  by  seeing  these  hawks  take  the 
fish  out  of  the  water,  and  as  they  were  flying  away  with 
their  quarry,  the  bald  eagles  take  it  from  them  again.  I 
have  often  observed  the  first  of  these  hover  over  the  water 
and  rest  upon  the  wing  some  minutes  together,  without  the 
least  change  of  place,  and  then  from  a  vast  height  dart  di 
rectly  into  the  water,  and  there  plunge  down  for  the  space 
of  half  a  minute  or  more,  and  at  last  bring  up  with  him  a 
fish  which  he  could  hardly  rise  with  ;  then,  having  got 
upon  the  wing  again,  he  would  shake  himself  so  power 
fully  that  he  threw  the  water  like  a  mist  about  him  ;  after 
wards  away  he'd  fly  to  the  woods  with  his  game,  if  he 
were  not  overlooked  by  the  bald  eagle  and  robbed  by  the 
way,  which  very  frequently  happens.  For  the  bald  eagle 
no  sooner  perceives  a  hawk  that  has  taken  his  prey  but  he 
immediately  pursues  and  strives  to  get  above  him  in  the 
air,  which  if  he  can  once  attain,  the  hawk  for  fear  of  be 
ing  torn  by  him,  lets  the  fish  drop,  and  so  by  the  loss  of 
his  dinner  compounds  for  his  own  safety.  The  poor  fish  is 
no  sooner  loosed  from  the  hawk's  talons,  but  the  eagle 
shoots  himself  with  wonderful  swiftness  after  it,  and  catches 
it  in  the  air,  leaving  all  further  pursuit,  of  the  hawk,  which 
has  no  other  remedy  but  to  go  and  fish  for  another. 

Walking  once  with  a  gentleman  in  an  orchard  by  the 
river  side,  early  in  the  spring,  before  the  fish  were  by  us 
perceived  to  appear  in  shoal  water  or  near  the  shores,  and 
before  any  had  been  caught  by  the  people,  we  heard  a 
great  noise  in  the  air  just  over  our  heads,  and  looking  up 
we  saw  an  eagle  in  close  pursuit  of  a  hawk  that  had  a 
great  fish  in  his  pounces.  The  hawk  was  as  low  as  the 
16 


122  OF    THE     FISH. 

apple  trees  before  he  would  let  go  his  fish,  thinking  to  re 
cover  the  wood  which  was  just  by,  where  the  eagles  dare 
never  follow,  for  fear  of  bruising  themselves.  But,  not 
withstanding  the  fish  was  diopped  so  low,  and  though  it 
did  not  fall  above  thirty  yards  from  us,  yet  we  with  our 
hollowing,  running  and  casting  up  our  hats,  could  hardly 
save  the  fish  from  the  eagle,  and  if  it  had  been  let  go  two 
yards  higher  he  would  have  got  it :  but  we  at  last  took 
possession  of  it  alive,  carried  it  home,  and  had  it  dressed 
forthwith.  It  served  five  of  us  very  plentifully  for  a  break 
fast,  and  some  to  the  servants.  This  fish  was  a  rock  near 
two  feet  long,  very  fat,  and  a  great  rarity  for  the  time  of 
year,  as  well  as  for  the  manner  of  its  being  taken. 

These  fishing  hawks,  in  more  plentiful  seasons,  will  catch 
a  fish  and  loiter  about  with  it  in  the  air,  on  purpose  to 
have  chase  with  an  eagle  ;  and  when  he  does  not  appear 
soon  enough  the  hawk  will  make  a  saucy  noise,  and  inso 
lently  defy  him.  This  has  been  frequently  seen  by  per 
sons  who  have  observed  their  fishings. 


CHAPTEE    VI. 


OF    WILD    FOWL    AND    HUNTED    GAME. 

§25.  As  in  summer,  the  rivers  and  creeks  ore  filled  with 
fish,  so  in  winter  they  are  in  many  places  covered  with 
fowl.  There  are  such  a  multitude  of  swans,  geese,  brants, 
sheldrakes,  ducks  of  several  sorts,  mallard,  teal,  blewings, 
and  many  other  kinds  of  water  fowl,  that  the  plenty  of 
them  is  incredible.  I  am  but  a  small  sportsman,  yet  with 
a  fowling  piece  have  killed  above  twenty  of  them  at  a 
shot.  In  like  manner  are  the  mill  ponds  and  great  runs  in 
the  woods  stored  with  these  wild  fowl  at  certain  seasons  of 
the  year. 

§26.  The  shores,  marshy  grounds,  swamps  and  savan 
nahs  are  also  stored  with  the  like  plenty  of  other  game  of 
all  sorts,  as  cranes,  curlews,  herons,  snipes,  woodcocks,  sau- 
rers,  ox-eyes,  plovers,  larks,  and  many  other  good  birds  for 
the  table  that  they  have  not  yet  found  a  name  for.  Not  to 
mention  beavers,  otters,  musk  rats,  minxes,  and  an  infinite 
number  of  other  wild  creatures. 

§  27.  Although  the  inner  lands  want  these  benefits, 
(which,  however,  no  pond  or  plash  is  without,)  yet  even 
they  have  the  advantage  of  wild  turkeys,  of  an  incredible 
bigness,  pheasants,  partridges,  pigeons,  and  an  infinity  of 
small  birds,  as  well  as  deer,  hares,  foxes,  raccoons,  squir 
rels,  opossums.  And  upon  the  frontier  plantations,  they  meet 
with  bears,  panthers,  wild  cats,  elks,  buffaloes  and  wild 
hogs,  which  yield  pleasure  as  well  as  profit  to  the  sports 
man.  And  though  some  of  these  names  may  seem  frightful 
to  the  English,  who  hear  not  of  them  in  their  own  country, 
yet  they  are  not  so  there,  for  all  these  creatures  ever  fly 


124          OF  WILD  FOWL  AND  HUNTED  GAME. 

from  the  face  of  man,  doing  no  damage  but  to  the  cattle 
and  hogs,  which  the  Indians  never  troubled  themselves 
about. 

Here  I  cannot  omit  a  strange  rarity  in  the  female  opos 
sum,  which  I  myself  have  seen.  They  have  a  false  belly, 
or  loose  skin  quite  o\7er  the  belly  ;  this  never  sticks  to  the 
flesh  of  the  belly,  but  may  be  looked  into  at  all  times, 
after  they  have  been  concerned  in  procreation.  In  the 
hinderpart  of  this  is  an  aperture  big  enough  for  a  small 
hand  to  pass  into  :  hither  the  young  ones,  after  they  are 
full  haired,  and  strong  enough  to  run  about,  do  fly  when 
ever  any  danger  appears,  or  when  they  go  to  rest  or  suck. 
This  they  continue  till  they  have  learned  to  live  without 
the  dam  :  but  what  is  yet  stranger,  the  young  ones  are  bred 
in  this  false  belly  without  ever  being  within  the  true  one. 
They  are  formed  at  the  teat,  and  there  they  grow  for  seve 
ral  weeks  together  into  perfect  shape,  becoming  visibly  lar 
ger,  till  at  last  they  get  strength,  sight  and  hair  ;  and  then 
they  drop  off  and  rest  in  this  false  belly,  going  in  and  out 
at  pleasure.  I  have  observed  them  thus  fastened  at  the  teat 
from  the  bigness  of  a  fly  until  they  become  as  large  as  a 
mouse.  Neither  is  it  any  hurt  to  the  old  one  to  open  this 
budget  and  look  in  upon  her  young. 

§28.  The  Indians  had  no  other  way  of  taking  their 
water  or  land  fowl,  but  by  the  help  of  bows  and  arrows. 
Yet  so  great  was  their  plenty,  that  with  this  weapon  only 
they  killed  what  numbers  they  pleased.  And  when  the 
water  fowl  kept  far  from  shore  (as  in  warmer  weather  they 
sometimes  did)  they  took  their  canoes  and  paddled  after 
them. 

But  they  had  a  better  way  of  killing  the  elks,  buffaloes, 
deer,  and  greater  game,  by  a  method  which  we  call  fire 
hunting  :  that  is,  a  company  of  them  would  go  together 
back  into  the  woods  any  time  in  the  winter,  when  the 
leaves  were  falling  and  so  dry  that  they  would  burn  ;  and 
being  come  to  the  place  designed,  they  would  fire  the 
woods  in  a  circle  of  five  or  six  miles  compass  ;  and  when 


OP    WILD    FOWL    AND    HUNTED    GAME.  125 

they  had  completed  the  first  round  they  retreated  inward, 
each  at  his  due  distance,  and  put  fire  to  the  leaves  and 
grass  afresh,  to  accelerate  the  work,  which  ought  to  h£  fin 
ished  with  the  day.  This  they  repeat  till  the  circle  he  so 
contracted  that  they  can  see  their  game  herded  all  together 
in  the  middle,  panting  and  almost  stifled  with  heat  and 
smoke  j  for  the  poor  creatures  heing  frightened  at  the  flame 
keep  running  continually  round,  thinking  to  run  from  it, 
and  dare  not  pass  through  the  fire  ;  by  which  means  they 
are  brought  at  last  into  a  very  narrow  compass.  Then  the 
Indians  retreat  into  the  centre,  and  let  fly  their  arrows  at 
them  as  they  pass  round  within  the  circle  ;  by  this  means, 
though  they  stand  often  quite  clouded  in  smoke,  they  rarely 
shoot  each  other.  By  this  means  they  destroy  all  the 
beasts  collected  within  that  circle.  They  make  all  this 
slaughter  chiefly  for  the  sake  of  the  skins,  leaving  most  of 
the  carcasses  to  perish  in  the  woods. 

Father  Verbiast,  in  his  description  of  the  Emperor  of 
China's  voyage  into  the  Eastern  Tartary,  Anno  1682,  gives 
an  account  of  a  way  of  hunting  the  Tartars  have,  not  much 
unlike  this  ;  only  whereas  the  Indians  surround  their  game 
with  fire,  the  Tartars  do  it  with  a  great  body  of  armed 
men,  who  having  environed  the  ground  they  design  to 
drive,  march  equally  inwards,  which,  still  as  the  ring  les 
sens,  brings  the  men  nearer  each  other,  till  at  length  the 
wild  beasts  are  encompassed  with  a  living  wall. 

The  Indians  have  many  pretty  inventions  to  discover  and 
come  up  to  the  deer,  turkeys  and  other  game  undiscerned  ; 
but  that  being  an  art  known  to  very  few  English  there,  I 
will  not  be  so  accessary  to  the  destruction  of  their  game  as 
to  make  it  public.  I  shall  therefore  only  tell  you,  that 
when  they  go  a  hunting  into  the  outlands,  they  commonly 
go  out  for  the  whole  season  with  their  wives  and  family. 
At  the  place  where  they  find  the  most  game  they  build  up 
a  convenient  number  of  small  cabins,  wherein  they  live  dur 
ing  that  season.  These  cabins  are  both  begun  and  finished 
in  two  or  three  days,  and  after  the  season  is  over  they 
make  no  farther  account  of  them. 


126  OP    WILD    FOWL    AND    HUNTED    GAME. 

§  29.  This,  and  a  great  deal  more,  was  the  natural  pro 
duction  of  that  country,  which  the  native  Indiana  enjoyed, 
without  the  curse  of  industry,  their  diversion  alone,  and  not 
their  labor,  supplying  their  necessities.  The  women  and 
children  indeed  were  so  far  provident  as  to  lay  up  some  of 
the  nuts  and  fruits  of  the  earth  in  their  season  for  their  far 
ther  occasions  :  but  none  of  the  toils  of  husbandry  were  ex 
ercised  by  this  happy  people,  except  the  bare  planting  a 
little  corn  and  melons,  which  took  up  only  a  few  days  in 
the  summer,  the  rest  being  wholly  spent  in  the  pursuit  of 
their  pleasures.  And  indeed  all  that  the  English  have  done 
since  their  going  thither  has  been  only  to  make  some  of 
these  native  pleasures  more  scarce,  by  an  inordinate  and  un 
seasonable  use  of  them  ;  hardly  making  improvements  equiv 
alent  to  that  damage. 

1  shall  in  the  next  book  give  an  account  of  the  Indians 
themselves,  their  religion,  laws  and  customs  ;  that  so  both 
the  country  and  its  primitive  inhabitants  may  be  considered 
together  in  that  original  state  of  nature  in  which  the  En 
glish  found  them.  Afterwards  I  will  treat  of  the  present 
state  of  the  English  there,  and  the  alterations,  I  can't  call 
them  improvements,  they  have  made  at  this  day. 


BOOK  III. 


OF  THE  INDIANS,  THEIR  RELIGION,  LAWS  AND 
CUSTOMS,  IN  WAR  AND  PEACE. 


CHAPTER    I. 


OF    THE    INDIANS    AND    THEIR    DRESS. 

§  1.  The  Indians  are  of  the  middling  and  largest  sta 
ture  of  the  English.  They  are  straight  and  well  propor 
tioned,  having  the  cleanest  and  most  exact  limbs  in  the 
world.  They  are  so  perfect  in  their  outward  frame,  that 
I  never  heard  of  one  single  Indian  that  was  either  dwarfish, 
crooked,  bandy-legged,  or  otherwise  misshapen.  But  if  they 
have  any  such  practice  among  them  as  the  Romans  had, 
of  exposing  such  children  till  they  died,  as  were  weak 
and  misshapen  at  their  birth,  they  are  very  shy  of  confess 
ing  it,  and  I  could  never  yet  learn  that  they  had. 

Their  color,  when  they  are  grown  up,  is  a  chestnut 
brown  and  tawny  ;  but  much  clearer  in  their  infancy. 
Their  skin  comes  afterwards  to  harden  and  grow  blacker 
by  greasing  and  sunning  themselves.  They  have  generally 
coal  black  hair,  and  very  black  eyes,  which  are  most  com 
monly  graced  with  that  sort  of  squint  which  many  of  the 
Jews  are  observed  to  have.  Their  women  are  generally 
beautiful,  possessing  shape  and  features  agreeable  enough, 
and  wanting  no  charm  but  that  of  education  and  a  fair 
complexion. 


128  OF    THE     INDIANS    AND    THEIR     DRESS. 

§  '2.  The  men  wear  their  hair  cut  after  several  fanciful 
fashions,  sometimes  greased,  and  sometimes  painted.  The 
great  men,  or  better  sort,  preserve  a  long  lock  behind  for 
distinction.  They  pull  their  beards  up  by  the  roots  with 
musselshells,  and  both  men  and  women  do  the  same  by 
the  other  parts  of  their  body  for  cleanliness  sake.  The 
women  wear  the  hair  of  the  head  very  long,  either  hang 
ing  at  their  backs,  or  brought  before  in  a  single  lock, 
bound  up  with  a  fillet  of  peak,  or  beads  ;  sometimes  also 
they  wear  it  neatly  tied  up  in  a  knot  behind.  It  is  com 
monly  greased,  and  shining  black,  but  never  painted. 

The  people  of  condition,  of  both  sexes,  wear  a  sort  of 
coronet  on  their  heads,  from  four  to  six  inches  broad,  open 
at  the  top,  and  composed  of  peak,  or  beads,  or  else  of 
both  interwoven  together,  and  worked  into  figures,  made 
by  a  nice  mixture  of  the  colors.  Sometimes  they  wear  a 
wreath  of  died  furs,  as  likewise  bracelets  on  their  necks 
and  arms.  The  common  people  go  bare-headed,  only 
sticking  large  shining  feathers  about  their  heads,  as  their 
fancies  lead  them. 

§  3.  Their  clothes  are  a  large  mantle,  carelessly  wrap 
ped  about  their  bodies,  and  sometimes  girt  close  in  the 
middle  with  a  girdle.  The  upper  part  of  this  mantle  is 
drawn  close  upon  the  shoulders,  and  the  other  hangs  be 
low  their  knees.  When  that's  thrown  off,  they  have  only 
for  modesty  sake  a  piece  of  cloth,  or  a  small  skin  tied 
round  their  waist,  which  reaches  down  to  the  middle  of  the 
thigh.  The  common  sort  tie  only  a  string  round  their 
middle,  and  pass  a  piece  of  cloth  or  skin  round  between 
their  thighs,  which  they  turn  at  each  end  over  the  string. 
Their  shoes,  when  they  wear  any,  are  made  of  an  en 
tire  piece  of  buckskin,  except  when  they  sew  a  piece  to 
the  bottom  to  thicken  the  sole.  They  are  fastened  on 
with  running  strings,  the  skin  being  drawn  together  like  a 
purse  on  the  top  of  the  foot,  and  tied  round  the  ankle. 
The  Indian  name  of  this  kind  of  shoe  is  moccasin. 
But  because  a  draught  of  these  things  will  inform  the 


OF    THE     INDIANS    AND    THEIR    DRESS.  129 

reader  more  at  first  view  than  a  description  in  many  words, 
I  shall  present  him  with  the  following  prints  drawn  by 
the  life. 

TAB.  II.  is  an  Indian  man  in  his  summer  dress.  The 
upper  part  of  his  hair  is  cut  short  to  make  a  ridge, 
which  stands  up  like  the  comb  of  a  cock,  the  rest  is 
either  shorn  off,  or  knotted  behind  his  ear.  On  his  head 
are  stuck  three  feathers  of  the  wild  turkey,  pheasant, 
hawk,  or  such  like.  At  his  ear  is  hung  a  fine  shell 
with  pearl  drops.  At  his  breast  is  a  tablet,  or  fine  shell, 
smooth  as  polished  marble,  which  sometimes  also  hath 
etched  on  it  a  star,  half  moon,  or  other  figure,  according 
to  the  maker's  fancy.  Upon  his  neck  and  wrists  hang 
strings  of  beads,  peak  and  roenoke.  His  apron  is  made 
of  a  deer  skin,  gashed  round  the  edges,  which  hang  like 
tassels  or  fringe  ;  at  the  upper  end  of  the  fringe  is  an 
edging  of  peak,  to  make  it  finer.  His  quiver  is  of  a 
thin  bark  ;  but  sometimes  they  make  it  of  the  skin  of  a 
fox,  or  young  wolf,  with  the  head  hanging  to  it,  which 
has  a  wild  soit  of  terror  in  it ;  and  to  make  it  yet  more 
warlike,  they  tie  it  on  with  the  tail  of  a  panther,  buffalo, 
or  such  like,  letting  the  end  hang  down  between  their 
legs.  The  pricked  lines  on  his  shoulders,  breast  and  legs, 
represent  the  figures  painted  thereon.  In  his  left  hand  he 
holds  a  bow,  and  in  his  right  an  arrow.  The  mark  upon 
his  shoulderblade  is  a  distinction  used  by  the  Indians  in 
traveling,  to  show  the  nation  they  are  of ;  and  perhaps 
is  the  same  with  that  which  Baron  Lahontan  calls  the 
arms  and  heraldry  of  the  Indians.  Thus  the  several  let 
tered  marks  are  used  by  several  other  nations  about  Vir 
ginia,  when  they  make  a  journey  to  their  friends  and 
allies. 

The  landscape  is  a  natural  representation  of  an  Indian 
field. 

TAB.  Ill  is  two  Indian  men  in  their  winter  dress. 
Seldom  any  but  the  elder  people  wore  the  winter  cloaks 
(which  they  call  match- coats)  till  they  got  a  supply  of 

IT 


130  OF    THE     INDIANS    AND    THEIR     DRESS. 

European  goods  ;  and  now  most  have  them  of  one  sort  or 
other  in  the  cold  winter  weather.  Fig.  1  wears  the  pro 
per  Indian  match-coal,  which  is  made  of  skins,  dressed 
with  the  fur  on,  sewed  together,  and  worn  with  the  fur 
inwards,  having  the  edges  also  gashed  for  beauty  sake. 
On  his  feet  are  moccasins.  By  him  stand  some  Indian 
cabins  on  the  banks  of  the  river.  Fig.  2  wears  the  Duf- 
fieid  match-coat  bought  of  the  English  ;  on  his  head  is  a 
coronet  of  peak,  on  his  legs  are  stockings  made  of  Duf-' 
fields  :  that  is,  they  take  a  length  to  reach  from  the  ankle 
to  the  knee,  so  broad  as  to  wrap  round  the  leg  ;  this 
they  sew  together,  letting  the  edges  stand  out  at  an  inch 
beyond  the  seam.  When  this  is  on,  they  garter  below 
knee,  and  fasten  the  lower  end  in  the  moccasin. 

§  4.  I  don't  find  that  the  Indians  have  any  other  distinc 
tion  in  their  dress,  or  the  fashion  of  their  hair,  than  only 
what  a  greater  degree  of  riches  enables  them  to  make,  ex 
cept  it  be  their  religious  persons,  who  are  known  by  the  . 
particular  cut  of  the  hair  and  the  unusual  figure  of  their 
garments  ;  as  our  clergy  are  distinguished  by  their  canonical 
habit. 

The  habit  of  the  Indian  priest  is  a  cloak  made  in  the 
form  of  a  woman's  petticoat  ;  but  instead  of  tieing  it  about 
their  middle,  they  fasten  the  gatherings  about  their  neck  and 
tie  it  upon  the  right  shoulder,  always  keeping  one  arm  out 
to  use  upon  occasion.  This  cloak  hangs  even  at  the  bot 
tom,  but  reaches  no  lower  than  the  middle  of  the  thigh  ; 
but  what  is  most  particular  in  it  is,  that  it  is  constantly 
made  of  a  skin  dressed  soft,  with  the  pelt  or  fur  on  the  out 
side,  and  reversed  ;  insomuch,  that  when  the  cloak  has  been 
a  little  worn  the  hair  foils  down  in  flakes,  and  looks  very 
shagged  and  frightful. 

The  cut  of  their  hair  is  likewise  peculiar  to  their  func 
tion  ;  for  'tis  all  shaven  close  except  a  thin  crest,  like  a 
cock's  comb,  which  stands  bristling  up,  and  runs  in  a  semi 
circle  from  the  forehead  up  along  the  crown  to  the  nape  of 
the  neck.  They  likewise  have  a  border  of  hair  over  the 


OP    THE     INDIANS    AND    THEIR     DRESS.  131 

forehead,  which  by  its  own  natural  strength,  and  by  the 
stiffening  it  receives  from  grease  and  paint,  will  stand  out 
like  the  peak  of  a  bonnet. 

TAB.  IV.  Is  a  priest  and  a  conjurer  in  their  proper 
habits.  The  priest's  habit  is  sufficiently  described  above. 
The  conjurer  shaves  all  his  hair  off,  except  the  crest  on  the 
crown  ;  upon  his  ear  he  wears  the  skin  of  some,  dark 
colored  bird  ;  he,  as  well  as  the  priest,  is  commonly  grimed 
with  soot  or  the  like  j  to  save  his  modesty  he  hangs  an 
otter  skin  at  his  girdle,  fastening  the  tail  between  his  legs  ; 
upon  his  thigh  hangs  his  pocket,  which  is  fastened  by  tuck 
ing  it  under  his  girdle,  the  bottom  of  this  is  likewise  fringed 
with  tassels  for  ornament  sake.  In  the  middle  between 
them  is  the  Huskanawpen  spoken  of  §32. 

§  5.  The  dress  of  the  women  is  little  different  from  that 
of  the  men,  except  in  the  tieing  of  their  hair.  The  women 
of  distinction  wear  deep  necklaces,  pendants  and  bracelets, 
made  of  small  cylinders  of  the  conch  shell,  which  they 
call  peak  :  they  likewise  keep  their  skin  clean  and  shining 
with  oil,  while  the  men  are  commonly  bedaubed  all  over 
with  paint. 

They  are  remarkable  for  having  small  round  breasts,  and 
so  firm,  that  they  are  hardly  ever  observed  to  hang  down, 
even  in  old  women.  They  commonly  go  naked  as  far  as 
the  navel  downward,  and  upward  to  the  middle  of  the 
thigh,  by  which  means  they  have  the  advantage  of  discov 
ering  their  fine  limbs  and  complete  shape. 

TAB.  V.  Is  a  couple  of  young  women.  The  first  wear 
ing  a  coronet,  necklace  and  bracelet  of  peak  ;  the  second  a 
wreath  of  furs  on  her  head,  and  her  hair  is  bound  with  a 
fillet  of  peak  and  beads.  Between  the  two  is  a  woman 
under  a  tree  making  a  basket  of  silk  grass  after  their  own 
manner. 

TAB.  VI.  Is  a  woman  and  a  boy  running  after  her. 
One  of  her  hands  rests  in  hei  necklace  of  peak,  and  the 
other  holds  a  gourd,  in  which  they  put  water  or  other 
liquid. 


132  OF    THE     INDIANS    AND    THEIR     DRESS, 

The  boy  wears  a  necklace  of  runtees,  in  his  right  hand  is 
an  Indian  rattle,  and  in  his  left  a  roasting  ear  of  corn. 
Round  his  waist  is  a  small  string,  and  another  brought  cross 
through  his  crotch,  and  for  decency  a  soft  skin  is  fastened 
before. 

Runtees  are  made  of  the  conch  shell  as  the  peak  is,  only 
the  shape  is  flat  and  round  like  a  cheese,  and  drilled  edge 
ways. 


CHAPTER    II. 


OF    THE    MARRIAGES     AMONGST     THE     INDIANS,    AND     MANAGE 
MENT   OF    THEIR    CHILDREN. 

§  6.  The  Indians  have  their  solemnities  of  marriage,  and 
esteem  the  vows  made  at  that  time  as  most  sacred  and  in 
violable.  Notwithstanding  they  allow  both  the  man  and  the 
wife  to  part  upon  disagreement,  yet  so  great  is  the  disrepu 
tation  of  a  divorce,  that  married  people,  to  avoid  the  char 
acter  of  inconstant  and  ungenerous,  very  rarely  let  their 
quarrels  proceed  to  a  separation.  However,  when  it  does  so 
happen,  they  reckon  all  the  ties  of  matrimony  dissolved, 
and  each  hath  the  liberty  of  mairying  another.  But  infi 
delity  is  accounted  the  most  unpardonable  of  all  crimes  in 
either  of  the  parties*  as  long  as  the  contract  continues. 

In  these  separations,  the  children  go,  according  to  the 
affection  of  the  parent,  with  the  one  or  the  other ;  for  chil 
dren  are  not  reckoned  a  charge  among  them,  but  rather 
riches,  according  to  the  blessing  of  the  Old  Testament ;  and 
if  they  happen  to  differ  about  dividing  their  children,  their 
method  is  then  to  part  them  equally,  allowing  the  man  the 
first  choice. 

§7.  Though  the  young  Indian  women  are  said  to  prosti 
tute  their  bodies  for  wampom  peak,  runtees,  beads,  and 
other  such  like  fineries ;  yet  I  never  could  find  any  ground 
for  the  accusation,  and  believe  it  only  to  be  an  unjust 
scandal  upon  them.  This  I  know,  that  if  ever  they  have 
a  child  while  they  are  single,  it  is  such  a  disgrace  to  them 
that  they  never  after  get  husbands.  Besides,  I  must  do 
them  the  justice  to  say,  I  never  heard  of  a  child  any  of 
them  had  before  marriage,  and  the  Indians  themselves  dis- 


134  OF   MARRIAGES    ANET    CHILOREIST* 

own  any  such  custom  ;  though  they  acknowledge,  at  the 
same  time,  that  the  maidens  are  entirely  at  their  own  dis 
posal,  and  may  manage  their  persons  as  they  think  fit. 

§  8.  The  manner  of  the  Indians  treating  their  young 
children  is  very  strange  ;  for  instead  of  keeping  them  warm, 
at.  their  first  entry  into  the  world,  and  wrapping  them  up, 
with  I  don't  know  how  many  clothes,  according  to  our  fond 
custom,  the  first  thing  they  do  is  to  dip  the  child  over  head 
and  ears  in  cold  water,  and  then  to  bind  it  naked  to  a  con 
venient  board,  having  a  hole  fitly  placed  for  evacuation  ;  but 
they  always  put  cotton,  wool,  fur,  or  other  soft  things,  for 
the  body  to  rest  easy  on,  between  the  child  and  the  board. 
In  this  posture  they  keep  it  several  months,  till  the  bones 
begin  to  harden,  the  joints  to  knit,  and  the  limbs  to  grow 
strong  ;  and  'then  they  let  it  loose  from  the  board,  suffering 
it  to  crawl  about,  except  when  they  are  feeding  or  playing 
with  it. 

While  the  child  is  thus  at  the  board,  they  either  lay  it 
flat  on  its  back,  or  set  it  leaning  on  one  end,  or  else  hang 
it  up  by  a  string  fastened  to  the  upper  end  of  the  board  for 
that  purpose  ;  the  child  and  board  being  till  this  while  car 
ried  about  together.  As  our  women  undress  their  children 
to  clean  and  shift  their  linen,  so  they  do  theirs  to  wash  and 
grease  them. 

The  method  the  women  have  of  carrying  their  children 
after  they  are  suffered  to  crawl  about,  is  very  particular ; 
they  carry  them  at  their  backs  in  summer,  taking  one  leg  of 
the  child  under  their  arm,  and  the  counter-arm  of  the  child 
in  their  hand  over  their  shoulder ;  the  other  leg  hanging 
down,  and  the  child  all  the  while  holding  fast  with  its 
other  hand  ;  but  in  winter  they  carry  them  in  the  hollow  of 
their  match-coat  at  their  back,  leaving  nothing  but  the 
child's  head  out,  as  appears  by  the  figure. 


CHAPTER    III. 


OF    THE     TOWNS,     BUILDINGS     AND      FORTIFICATIONS     OF     THE 

INDIANS. 

§  9.  The  method  of  the  Indian  settlements  is  altogether 
by  cohabitation,  in  townships,  from  fifty  to  five  hundred 
families  in  a  town,  and  each  of  these  towns  is  commonly  a 
kingdom.  Sometimes  one  king  has  the  command  of  several 
of  these  towns,  when  they  happen  to  be  united  in  his  hands 
by  descent  or  conquest ;  but  in  such  cases  there  is  always  a 
vicegerent  appointed  in  the  dependent  town,  who  is  at  once 
governor,  judge,  chancellor,  and  has  the  same  power  and 
authority  which  the  king  himself  has  in  the  town  where  he 
resides.  This  viceroy  is  obliged  to  pay  his  principal  some 
small  tribute,  as  an  acknowledgment  of  his  submission,  as 
likewise  to  follow7  him  to  his  wars  whenever  he  is  required. 

§  10.  The  manner  the  Indians  have  of  building  their 
houses  is  very  slight  and  cheap.  When  they  would  erect  a 
wigwam,  which  is  the  Indian  name  for  a  house,  they  stick 
saplins  into  the  ground  by  one  end,  and  bend  the  other  at 
the  top,  fastening  them  together  by  strings  made  of  fibrous 
roots,  the  rind  of  tvees,  or  of  the  green  wood  of  the  white 
oak,  which  will  rive  into  thongs.  The  smallest  sort  of 
these  cabins  are  conical  like  a  bee-hive  ;  but  the  larger  are 
built  in  an  oblong  form,  and  both  are  covered  with  the 
bark  of  trees,  which  will  rive  off  into  great  flakes.  Their 
windows  are  little  holes  left  open  for  the  passage  of  the 
light,  which  in  bad  weather  they  stop  with  shutters  of  the 
same  bark,  opening  the  leeward  windows  for  air  and  light. 
Their  chimney,  as  among  the  true  born  Irish,  is  a  little 
hole*on  the  top  of  the  house,  to.  let  out  the  smoke,  having 


136      OP    THE    TOWNS,    BUILDINGS    AND    FORTIFICATIONS. 

no  sort  of  funnel,  or  any  thing  within,  to  confine  the  smoke 
from  ranging  through  the  whole  roof  of  the  cabin,  if  the 
vent  will  not  let  it  out  fast  enough.  The  fire  is  always 
made  in  the  middle  of  the  cabin.  Their  door  is  a  pendent 
mat,  when  they  are  near  home  •  but  when  they  go  abroad 
they  barricade  it  with  great  logs  of  wood  set  against  the 
mat,  which  are  sufficient  to  keep  our  wild  beasts.  There's 
never  more  than  one  room  in  a  house,  except  in  some 
houses  of  state,  or  religion,  where  the  partition  is  made  only 
by  mats  and  loose  poles. 

§11.  Their  houses,  or  cabins,  as  we  call  them,  are  by 
this  ill  method  of  building  continually  smoky  when  they 
have  fire  in  them  ;  but  to  ease  that  inconvenience,  and  to 
make  the  smoke  less  troublesome  to  their  eyes,  they  gene 
rally  burn  pine  or  lightwood,  (that  is,  the  fat  knots  of  dead 
pine,)  the  smoke  of  which .  does  not  offend  the  eyes,  but 
smuts  the  skin  exceedingly,  and  is  perhaps  another  occasion 
of  the  darkness  of  their  complexion. 

§12.  Their  seats,  like  those  in  the  eastern  part  of  the 
world,  are  the  ground  itself ;  and  as  the  people  of  distinc 
tion  amongst  those  used  carpets,  so  cleanliness  has  taught 
the  better  sort  of  these  to  spread  match-coats  and  mats  to 
sit  on. 

They  take  up  their  lodging  in  the  sides  of  their  cabins 
upon  a  couch  made  of  boaids,  sticks,  or  reeds,  which  are 
raised  from  the  ground  upon  forks,  and  covered  with  ma  s 
or  skins  Sometimes  they  lie  upon  a  bear  skin,  or  other 
thick  pelt  dressed  with  the  hair  on,  and  laid  upon  the 
ground  near  a  fire,  covering  themselves  with  their  match- 
coats.  In  warm  weather  a  single  mat  is  their  only  bed,  and 
another  rolled  up  their  pillow.  In  their  travels,  a  grass  plat 
under  the  covert  of  a  shady  tree,  is  all  the  lodging  they  re 
quire,  and  is  as  pleasant  and  refreshing  to  them  as  a  down 
bed  and  fine  Holland  sheets  are  to  us. 

§  13.  Their  fortifications  consist  only  of  a  palisade,  of 
about  ten  or  twelve  feet  high  ;  antf  when  they  would  make 
themselves  very  safe,  they  treble  the  pale.  They  often  en- 


OF    THE    TOWNS,    BUILDINGS    AND    FORTIFICATIONS.      137 

compass  (heir  whole  town  ;  but  for  the  most  part  only  their 
king's  houses,  and  as  many  others  as  they  judge  sufficient 
to  harbor  all  their  people  when  an  enemy  comes  against 
them.  They  never  fail  to  secure  within  their  palisade  all 
their  religious  relics,  and  the  remains  of  their  princes.  Wilh- 
in  this  inclosure,  they  likewise  take  care  to  have  a  supply 
of  water,  and  to  make  a  place  for  a  fire,  which  they  fre 
quently  dance  round  with  great  solemnity. 

18 


CHAPTEE    IV. 


OF    THEIR    COOKERY    AND    FOOD. 

^14.  Their  cookery  has  nothing  commendable  in  it,  but 
that  it  is  performed  with  little  trouble.  They  have  no  other 
sauce  but  a  good  stomach,  which  they  seldom  want.  They 
boil,  broil,  or  toast  all  the  meat  they  eat,  and  it  is  very 
'common  with  them  to  boil  fish  as  well  as  flesh  with  their 
homony  ;  this  is  Indian  corn  soaked,  broken  in  a  mortar, 
husked,  and  then  boiled  in  water  over  a  gentle  fire  for  ten 
or  twelve  hours,  to  the  consistence  of  frumenty  :  the  thin  of 
this  is  what  my  Lord  Bacon  calls  cream  of  maise,  and 
highly  commends  for  an  excellent  sort  of  nutriment. 

They  have  two  ways  of  broiling,  viz.,  one  by  laying  the 
meat  itself  upon  the  coals,  the  other  by  laying  it  upon 
sticks  raised  upon  forks  at  some  distance  above  the  live 
coals,  which  heats  more  gently,  and  dries  up  the  gravy  ;  this 
they,  and  we  also  from  them,  call  barbecueing. 

They  skin  and  paunch  all  sorts  of  quadrupeds  ;  they  draw 
and  pluck  their  fowl ;  but  their  fish  they  dress  with  their 
scales  on,  without  gutting;  but  in  eating  they  leave  the 
scales,  entrails  and  bones  to  be  thrown  away.  They  also 
roast  their  fish  upon  a  hot  hearth,  covering  thein  with  hot 
ashes  and  coals,  then  take  them  out,  the  scales  and  skin 
they  strip  clean  off,  so  they  eat  the  flesh,  leaving  the  bones 
and  entrails  to  be  thrown  away. 

They  never  serve  up  different  sorts  of  victuals  in  one 
dish  ;  as  roast  and  boiled  fish  and  flesh  ;  but  always  serve 
them  up  in  several  vessels. 

They  bake  their  bread  either  in  cakes  before  the  fire,  or 
in  loaves  on  a  warm  hearth,  covering  the  loaf  first  with 
leaves,  then  with  warm  ashes,  and  afterwards  with  coals 
over  all. 


OP    THEIR    COOKERY    AND    FOOD.  139 

TAB.  IX.  Represents  the,  manner  of  their  roasting  and 
barbecueinsf,  with  the  form  of  their  baskets  for  common 

O  J 

uses,  and  carrying  fish. 

§15.  Their  food  is  fish  and  flesh  of  all  sorts,  and  that 
which  participates  of  both  ;  as  the  beaver,  a  small  kind  of 
turtle,  or  terrapins,  (as  we  call  them,)  and  several  species  of 
snakes.  They  likewise  eat  grubs,  the  nymphee  of  wasps, 
some  kinds  of  scarabaei,  cicadee,  &c.  These  la^t  are  such 
as  are  sold  in  the  markets  of  Fess,  and  such  as  the  Ara 
bians,  Lybians,  Parthians  and  ^Ethiopians  commonly  eat.  ;  so 
that  these  are  not  a  new  diet,  though  a  very  slender  one  ; 
and  we  are  informed  that  St.  John  was  dieted  upon  locusts 
and  wild  honey. 

They  make  excellent  broth  of  the  head  and  umbles  of  a 
deer,  which  they  put  into  the  pot  all  bloody.  This  seems 
to  resemble  the  jus  nigrum  of  the  Spartans,  made  with  the 
blood  and  bowels  of  a  hare.  They  eat  not  the  brains  with 
the  head,  but  dry  them  and  reserve  them  to  dress  their  lea 
ther  with. 

They  eat  all  sorts  of  peas,  beans,  and  other  pulse,  both 
parched  and  boiled.  They  make  their  bread  of  the  Indian 
corn,  wild  oats,  or  the  seed  of  the  sunflower.  But  when 
they  eat  their  bread,  they  eat  it  alone,  and  not  with  their 
meat. 

They  have  no  salt  among  them,  but  for  seasoning  use 
the  ashes  of  hickory,  stickweed,  or  some  other  wood  or  plant 
affording  a  salt  ash. 

They  delight  much  to  feed  on  roasting  ears  ;  that  is,  the 
Indian  corn,  gathered  green  and  milky,  before  it  is  grown  to 
its  full  bigness,  and  roasted  before  the  fire  in  the  ear.  For 
the  sake  of  this  diet,  which  they  love  exceedingly,  they  are 
very  careful  to  procure  all  the  several  sorts  of  Indian  corn 
before  mentioned,  by  which  means  they  contrive  to  prolong 
their  season.  And  indeed  this  is  a  very  sweet  and  pleasing 
food. 

They  have  growing  near  their  towns,  peaches,  strawber 
ries,  cushaws,  melons,  pompions,  macocks,  (fee.  The  cu- 


140  OF    THEIR    COOKERY    AND    FOOD. 

shaws  and  pompions  they  lay  by,  which  will  keep  several 
months  good  after  they  are  gathered  ;  the  peaches  they  save 
by  drying  them  in  the  sun  ;  they  have  likewise  several  sorts 
of  the  phaseoli. 

In  the  woods,  they  gather  chinkapins,  chestnuts,  hickories 
and  walnuts.  The  kernels  of  the  hickories  they  beat  in  a 
mortar  with  water,  and  make  a  white  liquor  like  milk,  from 
whence  they  call  our  milk  hickory.  Hazlenuts  they  will 
not  meddle  with,  though  they  make  a  shift  with  acorns 
sometimes,  and  eat  all  the  other  fruits  mentioned  before,  but 
they  never  eat  any  sort  of  herbs  or  leaves. 

They  make  food  of  another  fruit  called  cuttanimmons,  the 
frt;it  of  a  kind  of  arum,  growing  in  the  marshes  :  they  are 
like  boiled  peas  or  capers  to  look  on,  but  of  an  insipid 
earthy  taste.  Captain  Smith  in  his  History  of  Virginia  calls 
them  ocaughtanamnis,  and  Theod.  de  Bry  in  his  transla 
tion,  sacquenummener. 

Out  of  the  ground  they  dig  trubs,  earth  nuts,  wild 
onions,  and  a  tuberous  root  they  call  tuckahoe,  which  while 
crude  is  of  a  very  hot  and  virulent  quality  :  but  they  can 
manage  it  so,  as  in  case  of  necessity,  to  make  bread  of  it, 
just  as  the  Easi  Indians  and  those  of  Egypt  are  said  to  do 
of  colocassia,  or  the  West  Indians  of  cassava.  It  grows  like 
a  flag  in  the  miry  marshes,  having  roots  of  the  magnitude 
and  taste  of  Irish  potatoes,  which  are  easy  to  be  dug  up. 

§  16.  They  accustom  themselves  to  no  set  meals,  but  eat 
night  and  day,  when  they  have  plenty  of  provisions,  or  if 
they  have  got  any  thing  that  is  a  rarity.  They  are  very 
patient  of  hunger,  when  by  any  accident  they  happen  to 
have  nothing  to  eat ;  which  they  make  more  easy  to  them 
selves  by  girding  up  their  bellies,  just  as  the  wild  Arabs  are 
said  to  do  in  their  long  marches  ;  by  which  means  they  are 
less  sensible  of  the  impressions  of  hunger. 

§17.  Among  all  this  variety  of  food,  nature  hath  not 
taught  them  the  use  of  any  other  drink  than  water ;  which 
though  they  have  in  cool  and  pleasant  springs  every  where, 
yet  they  will  not  drink  that  if  they  can  get  pond  water,  or 


OF  THEIR   COOKERY    AND    FOOD.  .  141 

such  as  has  been  warmed  by  the  sun  and  weather.  Baron 
Lahontari  tells  of  a  sweet  juice  of  maple,  which  the  In 
dians  to  the  northward  gave  him,  mingled  with  water  ;  but 
our  Indians  use  no  such  drink.  For  their  strong  drink  they 
are  altogether  beholden  to  us,  and  are  so  greedy  of  it,  that 
most  of  them  will  be  drunk  as  often  as  they  find  an  oppor 
tunity  ;  notwithstanding  which  it  is  a  prevailing  humor 
among  them,  not  to  taste  any  strong  drink  at  all,  unless 
they  can  get  enough  to  make  them  quite  drunk,  and  then 
they  go  as  solemnly  about  it  as  if  it  were  part  of  their 
religion. 

§18.  Their  fashion  of  sitting  at  meals  is  on  a  mat  spread 
on  the  ground,  with  their  legs  lying  out  at  length  before 
them,  and  the  dish  between  their  legs  ;  for  which  reason 
they  seldom  or  never  sit  more  than  two  together  at  a  dish, 
who  may  with  convenience  mix  their  legs  together  and  have 
the  dish  stand  commodiously  to  them  both,  as  appears  by 
the  figure. 

The  spoons  which  they  eat  with  do  generally  hold  half  a 
pint  ;  and  they  laugh  at  the  English  for  using  small  ones, 
which  they  must  be  forced  to  carry  so  often  to  their  mouths 
that  their  arms  are  in  danger  of  being  tired  before  their 
belly. 

TAB.  X.  Is  a  man  and  his  wife  at  dinner. 

No.   1.  Is  their  pot  boiling  with  homony  and  fish  in   it. 

2.  Is  a  bowl  of  corn,  which   they  gather  up  in  their  fin 
gers,  to  feed  themselves. 

3.  The   tomahawk,   which    he   lays   by   at   dinner. 

4.  His    pocket,   which    is   likewise    stripped    off,   that    he 
may   be   at   full   liberty. 

5.  A  fish.  )  r 

r      .    .  c  >  Both  ready  for  dressing. 

6.  A  heap  of  roasting  ears,  j 

7.  The   gourd    of  water. 

8.  A  cockle  shell,  which  they  sometimes  use  instead  of  a 
spoon. 

9.  The   mat   they   sit   on. 

All  other  matters  in  this  figure  are  understood  by  the  fore 
going  and  following  descriptions. 


CHAPTER    V. 


OP    THE     TRAVELING,     RECEPTION     AND     ENTERTAINMENT    OF 
THE    INDIANS. 

§i9.  Their  travels  they  perform  altogether  on  foot,  the 
fatigue  of  which  they  endure  to  admiration.  They  make  no 
other  provision  for  their  journey  but  their  gun  or  bow,  to 
supply  them  with  food  for  many  hundred  miles  together. 
If  they  carry  any  flesh  in  their  marches,  they  barbecue  it, 
or  rather  dry  it  by  degrees,  at  some  distance  over  the  clear 
coals  of  a  -wood  fire  ;  just  as  the  Charibees  are  said  to  pre 
serve  the  bodies  of  their  kings  and  great  men  from  corrup 
tion.  Their  sauce  to  this  dry  meat,  (if  they  have  an}7  be 
sides  a  good  stomach, )  is  only  a  little  bear's  oil,  or  oil  of 
acorns  ;  which  last  they  force  out  by  boiling  the  acorns  in 
a  strong  lye.  Sometimes  also  in  their  travels  each  man 
takes  with  him  a  pint  or  quart  of  rockahomonie,  that  is,  the 
finest  Indian  corn  parched  and  beaten  to  powder.  When 
they  find  their  stomach  empty,  (and  cannot  stay  for  the  te 
dious  cookery  of  other  things,)  they  put  about  a  spoonful  of 
this  into  their  mouths  and  drink  a  draught  of  water  upon 
it,  which  stays  their  stomachs,  and  enables  them  to  pursue 
their  journey  without  delay.  But  their  main  dependence  is 
upon  the  game  they  kill  by  the  way,  and  the  natural  fruits 
of  the  earth.  They  take  no  care  about  lodging  in  these 
journeys,  but  content  themselves  with  the  shade  of  a  tree 
or  a  little  high  grass. 

When   they  fear  being  discovered   or  followed   by  an  ene 
my    in    their     marches,    they    every    morning,    having     first 
greed  where  they  shall  rendezvous  at  night,  disperse  them 
selves  into  the  woods,  and  each  takes  a  several  way,  that  so 
he  grass  or  leaves   being   but  singly  pressed,  may  rise  again 


TRAVELING,    RECEPTION    AND     ENTERTAINMENT.  143 

and  not  betray  them.  For  the  Indians  are  very  artful  in 
following  a  track,  even  where  the  impressions  are  not  visi 
ble  to  other  people,  especially  if  they  have  any  advantage 
from  the  looseness  of  the  earth,  from  the  stiffness  of  the 
grass,  or  the  Stirling  of  the  leaves,  which  in  the  winter 
season  lie  very  thick  upon  the  ground  ;  and  likewise  after 
wards,  if  they  do  not  happen  to  be  burned. 

When  in  their  travels  they  meet  with  any  waters  which 
are  not  fordable,  they  make  canoes  of  birch  bark,  by  slip 
ping  it  whole  off  the  tree  in  this  manner  :  First,  they  gash 
the  bark  quite  round  the  tree,  at  the  length  they  would 
have  the  canoe  off,  then  slit  down  the  length  from  end  to 
end  ;  when  that  is  done,  they  with  their  tomahawks  easily 
open  the  bark  and  strip  it  whole  off.  Then  they  force  it 
open  with  sticks  in  the  middle,  slope  the  under  side  of  the 
ends  and  sow  them  up,  which  helps  to  keep  the  belly 
open  j  or  if  the  birch  trees  happen  to  be  small  they  sow  the 
bark  of  two  together.  The  seams  the  daub  with  clay  or 
mud,  and  then  pass  over  in  these  canoes,  by  two,  three,  or 
more  at  a  time,  according  as  they  are  in  bigness.  By  rea 
son  of  the  lightness  of  these  boats,  they  can  easily  carry 
them  over  land,  if  they  foresee  that  they  are  like  to  meet 
with  any  more  waters  that  may  impede  their  march  ;  or 
else  they  leave  them  at  the  water  side,  making  no  farther 
account  of  them,  except  it  be  to  repass  the  same  waters  in 
their  return.  See  the  resemblance,  Tab.  6. 

§20.  They  have  a  peculiar  way  of  receiving  strangers, 
and  distinguishing  whether  they  come  as  friends  or  enemies, 
though  they  do  not  understand  each  other's  language  :  and 
that  is  by  a  singular  method  of  smoking  tobacco,  in  which 
these  things  are  always  observed  : 

1.  They   take   a   pipe   much    larger   and   bigger  than   the 
common  tobacco  pipe,  expressly  made  for  that  purpose,  with 
which  all  towns  are  plentifully  provided  ;  they  call  them  the 
pipes  of  peace. 

2.  This    pipe   they   always  till    with    tobacco,   before   (he 
face  of  the  strangers,  and  light  it. 


144          TRAVELING,    RECEPTION    AND     ENTERTAINMENT. 

3.  The  chief  man  of  the  Indians,  to  whom  the  strangers 
come,  takes  two  or  three   whiffs,  and   then   bands   it   to  the 
chief  of  the  strangers. 

4.  If  the   stranger   refuses   to  smoke   in   it,    'tis   a   sign  of 
war. 

5.  If  it  be  peace,  the  chief  of  the  strangers  takes  a  whiff 
or  two   in  the   pipe,  and    presents  it  to  the  next  great  man 
of   the  town   they    come   to    visit ;    he,   after   taking    two   or 
three  whiffs,  gives  it  back  to  the  next  of  the  strangers,  and 
so   on   alternately,   until    they   have   past   all    the   persons   of 
ribte  on   each   side,   and   then   the   ceremony   is   ended. 

After  a  little  discourse,  they  march  together  in  a  friendly 
manner  into  the  town,  and  then  proceed  to  explain  the  busi 
ness  upon  which  they  came.  This  method  is  as  general  a 
rule  among  all  the  Indians  of  those  parts  of  America  as  the 
flag  of  truce  is  among  the  Europeans.  And  though  the 
fashion  of  the  pipe  differ,  as  well  as  the  ornaments  of  it, 
according  to  the  humor  of  the  several  nations,  yet  'tis  a 
general  rule  to  make  these  pipes  remarkably  bigger  than 
those  for  common  use,  and  to  adorn  them  with  beautiful 
wings  and  feathers  of  birds,  as  likewise  with  peak,  beads, 
or  other  such  foppery.  Father  Lewis  Henepin  gives  a  par 
ticular  description  of  one  that  he  took  notice  of  among  the 
Indians  upon  the  lakes  wherein  he  traveled.  He  describes 
it  by  the  name  of  the  calumet  of  [eace,  and  his  words  are 
these,  Book  I.,  chap.  24  : 

"  This  calumet  is  the  most  mysterious  thing  in  the  wotld 
among  the  savages  of  the  continent  of  the  Northern  Amer 
ica  5  for  it  is  used  in  all  their  important  transactions  :  how 
ever,  it  is  nothing  else  but  a  large  tobacco  pipe,  made  of 
red,  black  or  white  marble  ;  the  head  is  finely  polished,  and 
the  quill,  which  is  commonly  two  feet  and  a  half  long,  is 
made  of  a  pretly  strong  reed  or  cane,  adorned  with  feathers 
of  all  colors,  interlaced  with  locks  of  women's  hair.  They 
tie  it  to  two  wings  of  the  most  curious  birds  they  can  find, 
which  makes  their  calumet  not  much  unlike  Mercury's  wand, 
or  that  staff  ambassadors  did  formerly  carry  when  they  went 


TRAVELING,    RECEPTION    AND    ENTERTAINMENT.          145 

to  treat  of  peace.  They  sheath  that  reed  into  the  neck  of 
birds  they  call  huars,  which  are  as  big  as  our  geese,  and 
spotted  with  black  and  white  ;  or  else  of  a  sort  of  ducks, 
which  make  their  nests  upon  trees,  though  the  water  be 
their  ordinary  element,  and  whose  feathers  be  of  many  dif 
ferent  colors.  However,  every  nation  adorns  their  calumet 
as  they  think  fit,  according  to  their  own  genius,  and  the 
birds  they  have  in  their  country. 

Such  a  pipe  is  a  pass  and  safe  conduct  among  all  the 
allies  of  the  nation  who  has  given  it.  And  in  all  embas 
sies,  the  ambassador  carries  that  calumet,  as  the  symbol  of 
peace,  which  is  always  respected  :  for  the  savages  are  gene 
rally  persuaded,  that  a  great  misfortune  would  befall  them, 
if  they  violated  the  public  faith  of  the  calumet. 

"  All  their  enterprises,  declarations  of  war,  or  conclusions 
of  peace,  as  well  as  all  the  rest  of  their  ceremonies,  are  seal 
ed,  (if  I  may  be  permitted  to  say  so,)  with  this  calumet : 
They  fill  lhat  pipe  with  the  best  tobacco  they  have,  and 
then  present  it  to  those  with  whom  they  have  concluded 
any  great  affair,  and  smoke  out  of  the  same  after  them." 

In  tab.  6,  is  seen  the  calumet  of  peace,  drawn  by  La- 
hontan,  and  one  of  the  sort  which  I  have  seen. 

§21.  They  have  a  remarkable  way  of  entertaining  all 
strangers  of  condition,  which  is  performed  after  the  follow 
ing  manner  :  First,  the  king  or  qmeen,  with  a  guard  and  a 
great  retinue,  march  out  of  the  town,  a  quarter  or  half  a 
mile,  and  carry  mats  for  their  accommodation.  When  they 
meet  the  strangers,  they  invite  them  to  sit  down  upon  those 
mats.  Then  they  pass  the  ceremony  of  the  pipe,  and  af 
terwards,  having  spent  about  half  an  hour  in  grave  dis 
course,  they  get  up,  all  together,  and  march  into  the  town. 
Here  the  first  compliment  is  to  wash  the  courteous  travel 
er's  feet ;  then  be  is  treated  at  a  plentiful  entertainment, 
served  up  by  a  great  number  of  attendants  ;  after  which  he 
is  diverted  with  antique  Indian  dances,  performed  both  by 
men  and  women,  and  accompanied  with  great  variety  of 
wild  music.  At  this  rate  he  is  regaled  till  bedtime,  when 
19 


146    TRAVELING,  RECEPTION  AND  ENTERTAINMENT. 

a  brace  of  young,  beautiful  virgins  are  chosen  to  wait  upon 
him  that  night  for  his  particular  refreshment.  These  dam 
sels  are  to  undress  this  happy  gentleman,  and  as  soon  as 
he  is  in  bed,  they  gently  lay  themselves  down  by  him,  one 
on  one  side  of  him,  and  the  other  on  the  other.  They 
steem  it  a  breach  of  hospitality,  not  to  submit  to  everything 
he  desires  of  them.  This  kind  ceremony  is  used  only  to 
men  of  great  distinction — and  the  young  women  are  so 
far  from  suffering  in  their  reputation  for  this  civility,  that 
they?  are  envied  for  it  by  all  the  other  girls,  as  having  had 
the  greatest  honor  done  them  in  the  world. 

After  this  manner,  perhaps,  many  of  the  heroes  were  be 
gotten  in  old  time,  who  boasted  themselves  to  be  the  sons 
of  some  wayfaring  god. 


CHAPTER  VI. 


OF  THE  LEARNING  AND  LANGUAGES  OP  THE  INDIANS. 

§  22.  These  Indians  have  no  sort  of  letters  to  express 
their  words  by  ;  but  when  they  would  communicate  any 
thing  that  cannot  be  delivered  by  message,  they  do  it  by  a 
sort  of  hieroglyphic,  or  representation  of  birds,  beasts,  or  other 
things,  shewing  their  different  meaning  by  the  various  forms 
described,  and  by  the  different  position  of  the  figures. 

Baron  Lahontan,  in  his  second  volume  of  New  Voyages, 
has  two  extraordinary  chapters  concerning  the  heraldry  and 
hieroglyphics  of  the  Indians  ;  but  I,  having  had  no  oppor 
tunity  of  conversing  with  our  Indians  since  that  book  came 
to  my  hands,  nor  having  ever  suspected  them  to  be  ac 
quainted  with  heraldry,  I  am  not  able  to  say  anything  up 
on  that  subject. 

The  Indians,  when  they  travel  ever  so  small  a  way,  being 
much  embroiled  in  war  one  with  another,  use  several  marks 
painted  upon  their  shoulders  to  distinguish  themselves  by, 
and  show  what  nation  they  are  of.  The  usual  mark  is  one, 
two,  or  three  arrows.  One  nation  paints  these  arrows  up 
wards,  another  downwards,  a  third  sideways — and  others 
again  use  other  distinctions,  as  in  tab.  2,  from  whence  it 
comes  to  pass,  that  the  Virginia  assembly  took  up  the  hu 
mor  of  making  badges  of  silver,  copper  or  brass,  of  which 
they  gave  a  sufficient  number  to  each  nation  in  amity  with 
the  English,  and  then  made  a  law,  that  the  Indians  should 
not  travel  among  the  English  plantations  without  one  of 
these  badges  in  their  company,  to  show  that  they  are 
friends.  And  this  is  all  the  heraldry  that  I  know  is  prac 
ticed  among  the  ^Indians. 


us 


LEARNING  AND  LANGUAGES  OF  THE  INDIANS. 


§23.  Their  languages  differ  very  much,  as  anciently  in 
the  several  parts  of  Britain  ;  so  that  nations  at  a  moderate 
distance  do  not  understand  one  another.  However,  they 
have  a  sort  of  general  language,  like  what  Lahontan  calls 
the  Algonkine,  which  is  understood  by  the  chief  men  of 
many  nations,  as  Latin  is  in  most  parts  of  Europe,  and 
Lingua  Franca  quite  through  the  Levant. 

The  general  language  here  used  is  said  to  be  that  of  the 
Occaneeches,  though  they  have  been  but  a  small  nation 
ever  since  those  parts  were  known  to  the  English  ;  but  in 
what  this  language  may  differ  from  that  of  the  Algonkines, 
I  am  not  able  to  determine. 


CHAPTBE   VII. 


OP    THE    WAR,    AND    PEACE    OF    THE    INDIANS. 

§  24.  When  they  are  about  to  undertake  any  war  or 
other  solemn  enterprise,  the  king  summons  a  convention  of 
his  great  men  to  assist  at  a  grand  council,  which,  in  their 
language,  is  called  a  Matchacomoco.  At  these  assemblies, 
'tis  the  custom,  especially  when  a  war  is  expected,  for  the 
young  men  to  paint  themselves  irregularly  with  black,  red, 
white,  and  several  other  motley  colors,  making  one-half  of 
their  face  red,  (for  instance,)  and  the  other  black  or  white, 
with  great  circles  of  a  different  hue  round  their  eyes,  with 
monstrous  mustaches,  and  a  thousand  fantastical  figures,  all 
over  the  rest  of  their  body  ;  and  to  make  themselves  appear 
yet  more  ugly  and  frightful,  they  strew  feathers,  do.wn,  or 
the  hair  of  beasts  upon  the  paint  while  it  is  still  moist  and 
capable  of  making  those  light  substances  stick  fast  on. 
When  they  are  thus  formidably  equipped,  they  rush  into 
the  Matchacomoco,  and  instantly  begin  some  very  grotesque 
dance,  holding  their  arrows  or  tomahawks  in  their  hands, 
and  all  the  while  singing  the  ancient  glories  of  their  nation, 
and  especially  of  their  own  families — threatening  and  mak 
ing  signs  with  their  tomahawk  what  a  dreadful  havoc  they 
intend  to  make  amongst  their  enemies. 

Notwithstanding  these  terrible  airs  they  give  themselves, 
they  are  very  timorous  when  they  come  to  action,  and  rarely 
perform  any  open  or  bold  feats  ;  but  the  execution  they  do^ 
is  chiefly  by  surprise  and  ambuscade. 

§  25.  The  fearfulness  of  their  nature  makes  them  very 
jealous  and  implacable.  Hence  it  is,  that  when  they  get 


150  OF    THE    WAR;    AND    PEACE    OF    THE    INDIANS. 

a  victory,  they  destroy  man,   woman   and   child,  to  prevent 
all  future  resentments. 

§26.  I  can't  think  it  anything  but  their  jealousy  that 
makes  them  exclude  the  lineal  issue  from  succeeding  imme 
diately  to  the  crown.  Thus,  if  a  king  have  several  legiti 
mate  children,  the  crown  does  not  descend  in  a  direct  line 
to  his  children,  but  to  his  brother  by  the  same  mother,  if 
he  have  any,  and  for  want  of  such,  to  the  children  of  his 
eldest  sister,  always  respecting  the  descent  by  the  female, 
as  the  surer  side.  But  the  crown  goes  to  the  male  heir  (if 
any  be)  in  equal  degree,  and  for  want  of  such,  to  the  fe 
male,  preferably  to  any  male  that  is  more  distant. 

§  27.  As  in  the  beginning  of  a  war,  they  have  assemblies 
for  consultation,  so,  upon  any  victory  or  other  great  success, 
they  have  public  meetings  again  for  processions  and  tri 
umphs.  I  never  saw  one  of  these,  but  have  heard  that 
they  are  accompanied  with  all  the  marks  of  a  wild  and  ex 
travagant  joy. 

Captain  Smith  gives  the  particulars  of  one  that  was  made 
upon  his  being  taken  prisoner,  and  carried  to  their  town. 
These  are  his  words,  vol.  1,  page  159: 

"  Drawing  themselves  all  in  file,  the  king  in  the  midst 
had  all  their  pieces  and  swords  borne  before  him.  Captain 
Smith  was  led  after  him  by  three  great  savages,  holding 
him  fast  by  each  arm,  and  on  each  side  six  went  in  file, 
with  their  arrows  nocked  ;  but  arriving  at  the  town,  (which 
was  but  thirty  or  forty  hunting  houses  made  of  mats,  which 
they  remove  as  often  as  they  please,  as  we  our  tents,)  all 
the  women  and  children  staring  to  behold  him,  the  soldiers 
first,  all  in  the  file,  performed  the  form  of  a  bissom  as  well 
as  could  be,  and  on  each  flank  officers  as  sergeants  to  see 
them  keep  their  order.  A  good  time  they  continued  this 
exercise,  and  then  cast  themselves  in  a  ring,  dancing  in 
such  seveial  postures,  and  singing  and  yelling  out  such  hell 
ish  notes  and  screeches,  being  strangely  painted,  every  one 
his  quiver  of  arrows,  and  at  his  back  a  club,  on  his  arm  a 
fox  or  an  otter's  skin,  or  some  such  matter  for  his  vam- 


OF    THE    WAR,    AND    PEACE    OF    THE    INDIANS.  151 

brace  ;  their  heads  and  shoulders  painted  red,  with  oil  and 
puccoons  mingled  together,  which  scarlet-like  color  made 
an  exceeding  handsome  show  ;  his  bow  in  his  hand,  and 
the  skin  of  a  bird  with  the  wings  abroad  dried,  tied  on  his 
head  •  a  piece  of  copper,  a  white  shell,  a  long  feather,  with 
a  small  rattle  growing  at  the  tails  of  their  snakes,  tied  to  it, 
or  some  such  like  toy.  All  this,  while  Smith  and  the  king 
stood  in  the  midst  guarded,  as  before  is  said,  and  after 
three  dances  they  all  departed." 

I  suppose  here  is  something  omitted,  and  that  the  conju 
rer  should  have  been  introduced  in  his  proper  dress,  as  the 
sequel  of  the  story  seems  to  mean. 

§  28.  They  use  formal  embassies  for  treating,  and  very 
ceremonious  ways  in  concluding  of  peace,  or  else  some  other 
memorable  action,  such  as  burying  a  tomahawk,  and  rais 
ing  a  heap  of  stones  thereon,  as  the  Hebrews  were  wont  to 
do  ;  or  of  planting  a  tree,  in  token  that  all  enmity  is  bu 
ried  with Uhe  tomahawk  ;  that  all  the  desolations  of  war  are 
at  an  end,  and  that  friendship  shall  flourish  among  them 
like  a  tree. 


CHAPTEE    VIII. 


CONCERNING     THE    RELIGION,    WORSHIP,    AND    SUPERSTITIOUS 
CUSTOMS    OF    THE    INDIANS. 

§  29.  I  don't  pretend  to  have  dived  into  all  the  mysteries 
of  the  Indian  religion,  nor  have  I  had  such  opportunities 
of  learning  them  as  father  Henepin  and  Baron  Lahontan 
had,  by  living  much  among  the  Indians  in  their  towns  ;  and 
because  my  rule  is  to  say  nothing  but  what  I  know  to  be 
truth,  I  shall  be  very  brief  upon  this  head. 

In  the  writings  of  those  two  gentlemen,  I  cannot  but  ob 
serve  direct  contradictions,  although  they  traveled  the  same 
country,  and  the  accounts  they  pretend  to  give  are  of  the 
same  Indians.  One  makes  them  have  very  refined  notions 
of  a  Deity,  and  the  other  don't  allow  them  so  much  as  the 
name  of  a  God.  For  which  reason,  I  think  myself  obliged 
sincerely  to  deliver  what  I  can  warrant  to  be  true  upon  my 
own  knowledge  ;  it  being  neither  my  interest,  nor  any  part 
of  my  vanity,  to  impose  upon  the  world. 

I  have  been  at  several  of  the  Indian  towns,  and  con 
versed  with  some  of  the  most  sensible  of  them  in  Virginia  ; 
but  I  could  learn  little  from  them,  it  being  reckoned  sacri 
lege  to  divulge  the  principles  of  their  religion.  However, 
the  following  adventure  discovered  something  of  it.  As  I 
was  ranging  the  woods,  with  some  other  friends,  we  fell 
upon  their  quioccosan,  (which  is  their  house  of  religious 
worship,)  at  a  time  when  the  whole  town  were  gathered  to 
gether  in  another  place,  to  consult  about  the  bounds  of  the 
land  given  them  by  the  English. 

Thus  finding  ourselves  masters  of  so  fair  an  opportunity, 
(because  we  knew  the  Indians  were  engaged,)  we  resolved 
to  make  use  of  it,  and  to  examine  their  quioccosan,  the  in- 


RELIGION,    WORSHIP   AND    CUSTOMS.  153 

side  of  which  they  never  suffer  any  Englishmen  to  see ; 
and  having  removed  about  fourteen  logs  from  the  door, 
with  which  it  was  barricaded,  we  went  in,  and  at  first 
found  nothing  but  naked  walls,  and  a  fireplace  in  the  mid 
dle.  This  house  was  about  eighteen  feet  wide,  and  thirty 
feet  long,  built  after  the  manner  of  their  other  cabins,  but 
larger,  with  a  hole  in  the  middle  of  the  roof  to  vent  the 
smoke,  the  door  being  at  one  end.  Round  about  the 
house,  at  some  distance  from  it,  were  set  up  posts,  with 
faces  carved  on  them,  and  painted.  We  did  not  observe 
any  window  or  passage  for  the  light,  except  the  door  and 
the  vent  of  the  chimney.  At  last  we  observed,  that  at  the 
farther  end,  about  ten  feet  of  the  room  was  cut  off  by  a 
partition  of  very  close  mats,  and  it  was  dismal  dark  behind 
that  partition.  We  were  at  first  scrupulous  to  enter  this 
obscure  place,  but  at  last  we  ventured^  and,  groping  about, 
we  felt  some  posts  in  the  middle  ;  then  reaching  our  hands 
up  those  posts,  we  found  large  shelves,  and  upon  these 
shelves  three  mats,  each  of  which  was  rolled  up,  and  sowed 
fast.  These  we  handed  down  to  the  light,  and  to  save 
time  in  unlacing  the  seams,  we  made  use  of  a  knife,  and 
ripped  them,  without  doing  any  damage  to  the  mats.  In 
one  of  these  we  found  some  vast  bones,  which  we  judged 
to  be  the  bones  of  men — particularly  we  measured  one  thigh 
bone,  and  found  it  two  feet  nine  inches  long.  In  another 
mat  we  found  some  Indian  tomahawks  finely  graved  and 
painted.  These  resembled  the  wooden  falchion  used  by  the 
prize-fighters  in  England,  except  that  they  have  no  guard 
to  save  the  fingers.  They  were  made  of  a  rough,  heavy 
wood,  and  the  shape  of  them  is  represented  in  the  tab.  10, 
No.  3.  Among  these  tomahawks,  was  the  largest  that  ever  I 
saw.  There  was  fastened  to  it  a  wild  turkey's  beard  painted 
red,  and  two  of  the  longest  feathers  of  his  wings  hung 
dangling  at  it,  by  a  string  of  about  six  inches  long,  tied  to 
the  end  of  the  tomahawk.  In  the  third  mat  there  was  some 
thing  which  we  took  to  be  their  idol,  though  of  an  under 
ling  sort,  and  wanted  putting  together.  The  pieces  were 
20 


154  RELIGION,    WORSHIP   AND    CtJSfOMS. 

these — first,  a  board  three  feet  and  a  half  long,  with  one  in 
denture  at  the  upper  end  like  a  fork,  to  fasten  the  head 
upon.  From  thence  half  way  down,  were  half  hoops  nailed 
to  the  edges  of  the  board,  at  about  four  inches'  distance, 
which  were  bowed  out,  lo  represent  the  breast  and  belly  ; 
on  the  lower  half  was  another  board  of  half  the  length  of 
the  other,  fastened  to  it  by  joints  or  pieces  of  wood,  which 
being  set  on  each  side  stood  out  about  fourteen  inches  from 
the  body,  and  half  as  high.  We  supposed  the  use  of  these  to 
be  for  the  bowing  out  of  the  knees,  when  the  image  was 
set  up.  There  were  packed  up  with  these  things,  red  and 
blue  pieces  of  cotton  cloth,  rolls  made  up  for  arms,  thighs 
and  legs,  bent  loo  at  the  knees,  as  is  represented  in  the  figure 
of  their  idol,  which  was  taken  by  an  exact  drawer  in  the 
first  discovery  of  the  country.  It  would  be  difficult  to  see 
one  of  these  images  at  this  day,  because  the  Indians  are  ex 
treme  shy  of  exposing  them.  We  put  the  clothes  upon  the 
hoops  for  the  body,  and  fastened  on  the  arms  and  legs  to 
have  a  view  of  the  representation  ;  but  the  head  and  rich 
bracelets,  which  it  is  usually  adorned  with,  were  not  there, 
or  at  least  we  did  not  find  them.  We  had  not  leisure  to 
make  a  very  narrow  search,  for  having  spent  about  an  hour 
in  this  enquiry,  we  feared  the  business  of  the  Indians  might 
be  near  over,  and  that  if  we  staid  longer,  we  might  be 
caught  offering  an  affront  to  their  superstition.  For  this 
reason,  we  wrapt  up  those  holy  materials  in  their  several 
mats  again,  and  laid  them  on  the  shelf  where  we  found 
them.  This  image,  when  dressed  up,  might  look  very  ve 
nerable  in  that  dark  place  where  'tis  not  possible  to  see  it, 
but  by  the  glimmering  light  that  is  let  in  by  lifting  up  a 
piece  of  the  matting,  which  we  observed  to  be  conveniently 
hung  for  that  purpose  ;  for  when  the  light  of  the  door  and 
chimney  glance  in  several  directions  upon  the  image  through 
that  little  passage,  it  must  needs  make  a  strange  represen 
tation,  which  those  poor  people  are  taught  to  worship  with 
a  devout  ignorance.  There  are  other  things  that  contribute 
towards  carrying  on  this  imposture.  Frst,  the  chief  conjurer 


Litti.  af  ~Riicl  lif 


m.i,Va 


N  J.j-j.n.01  njlcnifs  fc /Ju<vi_ayu.nL  iiittwioTLCi,vaL. 

Fdol    caWd,OKF<E,QUIOCCOS,or   KtWAS^  . 
Tab.tt  Kookt  Pccy.ffi 


RELIGION,    WORSHIP    AND    CUSTOMS.  155 

enters  within  the  partition  in  the  dark,  and  may  undiscerned 
move  the  image  as  he  pleases.  Secondly,  a  priest  of  autho 
rity  stands  in  the  room  with  the  people,  to  keep  them  fiom 
being  too  inquisitive,  uncfrer  the  penalty  of  the  deity's  dis 
pleasure  and  his  own  censure. 

Their  idol  bears  a  several  name  in  every  nation,  as  Okee, 
Quioccos,  Kiwasa.  They  do  not  look  upon  it  as  one  sin 
gle  being,  but  reckon  there  are  many  of  the  same  nature  ; 
they  likewise  believe  that  there  are  tutelar  deities  in  every 
town. 

TAB.  II.    Their  idol  in  his  tabernacle. 

The  dark  edging  shows  the  sides  and  roof  of  the  house, 
which  consists  of  saplings  and  bark.  The  paler  edging 
shows  the  mats,  by  which  they  make  a  partition  of  about 
ten  feet  at  the  end  of  the  house  for  the  idol's  abode.  The 
idol  is  set  upon  his  seat  of  mats  within  a  dark  recess  above 
the  people's  heads,  and  the  curtain  is  drawn  up  before  him. 

§  30.  Father  Henepin,  in  his  continuation,  page  GO,  will 
not  allow  that  the  Indians  have  any  belief  of  a  Deity,  nor 
that  they  are  capable  of  the  arguments  and  reasonings  that 
are  common  to  the  rest  of  mankind.  He  farther  says,  that 
they  have  not  any  outward  ceremony  to  denote  their  wor 
ship  of  a  Deity,  nor  have  any  word  to  express  God  by — 
that  there's  no  sacrifice,  priest,  temple,  or  any  other  token 
of  religion  among  them.  Baron  Lahontan,  on  the  other 
hand,  makes  them  have  such  refined  notions,  as  seem  al 
most  to  confute  his  own  belief  of  Christianity. 

The  first  I  cannot  believe,  though  written  by  the  pen  of 
that  pious  father ;  because,  to  my  own  knowledge,  all  the 
Indians  in  these  parts  are  a  superstitious  and  idolatrous  peo 
ple  ;  and  because  all  other  authors,  who  have  written  of  the 
American  Indians,  are  against  him.  As  to  the  other  ac 
count  of  the  just  thoughts  the  Indians  have  of  religion,  1 
must  humbly  intreat  the  baron's  pardon  ;  because  I  am  very 
sure  they  have  some  unworthy  conceptions  of  God  and  ano 
ther  world.  Therefore,  what  that  gentleman  tells  the  pub 
lic  concerning  them,  is  rather  to  show  his  own  opinions, 
than  those  of  the  Indians. 


156 


RELIGION,    WORSHIP    AND    CUSTOMS. 


Once  in  my  travels,  in  very  cold  weather,  I  met  at  an 
^Englishman's  house  with  an  Indian,  of  whom  an  extraor 
dinary  character  had  been  given  me  for  his  ingenuity  and 
undersianding.  When  I  saw  he  had  no  oilier  Indian  wilh 
him,  I  thought  I  might  be  the  more  free  j  and  therefore  I 
made  much  of  him,  seating  him  close  by  a  large  fire,  and 
giving  him  plenty  of  strong  cider,  which  I  hoped  would 
make  him  good  company  and  open-hearted.  After  I  found 
him  well  warmed,  (for  unless  they  be  surprised  some  way 
^or  other,  they  will  not  talk  freely  of  their  religion,)  I  asked 
him  concerning  their  god,  and  what  their  notions  of  him 
were?  He  freely  told  me,  they  believed  God  was  univer 
sally  beneficent,  that  his  dwelling  was  in  the  heavens  abover 
and  that  the  influences  of  his  goodness  reached  to  the  earth 
beneath.  That  he  was  incomprehensible  in  his  excellence, 
and  enjoyed  all  possible  felicity  ;  that  his  duration  was 
eternal,  his  perfection  boundless,  and  that  he  possesses  ever 
lasting  indolence  and  ease.  I  told  him  I  had  heard  that 
they  worshipped  the  devil,  and  asked  why  they  did  not 
rather  worship  God,  whom  they  had  so  high  an  opinion  of, 
and  who  would  give  them  all  good  things,  and  protect  them 
from  any  mischief  that  the  devil  could  do  them?  To  this 
his  answer  was,  that,  'tis  true  God  is  the  giver  of  all  good 
things,  but  they  flow  naturally  and  promiscuously  from 
him ;  that  they  are  showered  down  upon  all  men  indif 
ferently  without  distinction  ;  that  God  does  not  trouble  him 
self  with  the  impertinent  affairs  of  men,  nor  is  concerned  at 
what  they  do  ;  but  leaves  them  to  make  the  most  of  their 
free  will,  and  to  secure  as  many  as  they  can  of  the  good 
things  that  flow  from  him  ;  that  therefore  it  was  to  no  pur 
pose  either  to  fear  or  worship  him.  But  on  the  contrary,  if 
they  did  not  pacify  the  evil  spirit,  and  make  him  propitious, 
he  would  take  away  or  spoil  all  those  good  things  that  God 
had  given,  and  ruin  their  health,  their  peace,  and  their 
plenty,  by  sending  war,  plague  and  famine  among  them  ; 
for,  said  he,  this  evil  spirit  is  always  busying  himself  with  our 
affairs,  and  frequently  visiting  us,  being  present  in  the  air  in 


RELIGION,    WORSHIP    AND    CUSTOMS.  15T 

ihe  thunder,  and  in  the  storms.  He  told  me  farther,  that  he 
expected  adoration  and  sacrifice  from  them,  on  pain  of  his 
displeasure,  and  that  therefore  they  thought  it  convenient 
to  make  their  court  to  him.  I  then  asked  him  concerning 
the  image  which  they  worship  in  their  quioccasan,  and  as 
sured  him  that  it  was  a  dead,  insensible  log,  equipped  with 
a  bundle  of  clouts,  a  mere  helpless  thing  made  by  men, 
that  could  neither  hear,  see  nor  speak,  and  that  such  a  stu 
pid  thing  could  noways  hurt  or  help  them.  To  this  he  an 
swered  very  unwillingly,  and  with  much  hesitation  ;  how 
ever,  he  at  last  delivered  himself  in  these  broken  and  im 
perfect  sentences  :  It  is  the  priests they  make  the  peo 
ple  believe,  and  .  Here  he  paused  a  little,  and  then 

repeated    to    me,  that    it   was  the  priests    ,   and    then 

gave  me  hopes  that  he  would  have  said  something  more  ; 
but  a  qualm  crossed  his  conscience,  and  hindered  him  from 
making  any  farther  confession. 

§31.  The  priests  and  conjurers  have  a  great  sway  in 
every  nation.  Their  words  are  looked  upon  as  oracles,  and 
consequently  are  of  great  weight  among  the  common  peo 
ple.  They  perform  their  adorations  and  conjurations  in  the 
general  language  before  spoken  of,  as  the  catholics  of  all 
nations  do  their  mass  in  the  Latin.  They  teach  that  the 
souls  of  men  survive  their  bodies,  and  that  those  who  have 
done  well  here,  enjoy  most  transporting  pleasures  in  their 
elysium  hereafter  ;  that  this  elysium  is  stored  with  the  high 
est  perfection  of  all  their  earthly  pleasures  ;  namely,  with 
plenty  of  all  sorts  of  game  for  hunting,  fishing  and  fowling  ; 
that  it  is  blest  with  the  most  charming  women,  who  enjoy 
an  eternal  bloom,  and  have  an  universal  desire  to  please  ; 
that  it  is  delivered  from  excesses  of  cold  or  heat,  and 
flourishes  with  an  everlasting  spring.  But  that,  on  the  con 
trary,  those  who  are  wicked  and  live  scandalously  here,  are 
condemned  to  a  filthy,  stinking  lake  after  death,  that  con 
tinually  burns  with  flames  that  never  extinguish  ;  where  they 
are  persecuted  and  tormented  day  and  night,  with  furies  in 
the  shape  of  old  women. 


158  RELIGION,    WORSHIP   AND    CUSTOMS. 

They  use  many  divinations  and  enchantments,  and  fre 
quently  offer  burnt  sacrifice  to  ihc  evil  spirit.  The  people 
annually  present  their  first  fruits  of  every  season  and  kind, 
namely,  of  birds,  beasts,  fish,  fruils,  plants,  roots,  and  of  all 
other  things,  which  they  esteem  either  of  profit  or  pleasure 
to  themselves.  They  repeat  their  offerings  as  frequently  as 
they  have  great  successes  in  their  wars,  or  their  fishing, 
fowling  or  hunting. 

Captain  Smith  describes  the  particular  manner  of  a  con 
juration  that  was  made  about  him,  while  he  was  a  prisoner 
among  the  Indians  at  the  Pamunky  town,  in  the  first  set 
tlement  of  the  country  ;  and  after  that  I'll  tell  you  of  ano 
ther  of  a  more  modern  date,  which  I  had  fiom  a  very  good 
hand.  Smith's  word's  are  these  :  vol.  1,  p.  160. 

Early  in  the  morning,  a  great  fire  was  made  in  a  long 
house,  and  a  mat  spread  on  the  one  side  and  on  the  other. 
On  the  one  they  caused  him  to  sit,  and  all  the  guard  went 
out  of  the  house,  and  presently  there  came  skipping  in  a 
great  grim  fellow,  all  painted  over  with  coal  mingled  with 
oil,  and  many  snakes  and  weasel  skins  stuffed  with  moss, 
and  all  their  tails  tied  togelher,  so  as  they  met  in  the  crown 
of  his  head,  like  a  tassel,  and  round  about  the  tassel  was  a 
coronet  of  feathers,  the  skins  hanging  round  about  his 
head,  back  and  shoulders,  and  in  a  manner  covering  his 
face  ;  with  a  hellish  voice,  and  a  rattle  in  his  hand,  with 
most  strange  gestures  and  postures,  he  began  his  invocation, 
and  environed  the  fire  with  a  circle  of  meal  ;  which  done, 
three  much  such  like  devils  came  rushing  in  with  the  like 
antic  tricks,  painted  half  black,  half  red  ;  but  all  their  eyes 
were  painted  white,  and  some  great  strokes  like  muslaches, 
along  their  cheeks.  Round  about  him  these  fiends  danced 
a  pretty  while  ;  and  then  came  in  three  more  as  ugly  as 
the  rest,  with  red  eyes  and  white  strokes  over  their  black 
faces.  At  last  they  all  sat  down  right  against  him,  three  of 
them  on  one  hand  of  the  chief  priest  and  three  on  the  other. 
Then  all  of  them  with  their  rattles  began  a  song ;  which 
ended,  the  chief  priest  laid  down  five  wheat  corns  ;  then 


RELIGION,    WORSHIP    AND    CUSTOMS.  159 

straining  his  arms  and  hands  with  such  violence  that  he 
sweat,  and  his  veins  swelled,  he  began  a  short  oration.  At 
the  conclusion  they  gave  a  short  groan,  and  then  laid  clown 
three  grains  more  ;  after  that,  began  their  song  again,  and 
then  another  oration,  ever  laying  down  so  many  corns  as 
before,  till  they  had  twice  encircled  the  fire.  That  done, 
they  took  a  bunch  of  little  sticks  prepared  for  that  purpose, 
continuing  still  their  devotion,  and  at  the  end  of  every  song 
and  oration,  they  laid  down  a  stick  betwixt  the  divisions 
of  corn.  Till  night  neither  he  nor  they  did  eat  or  drink, 
and  then  they  feasted  merrily  with  the  provisions  they  could 
make.  Three  days  they  used  this  ceremony,  the  mean 
ing  whereof  they  told  him  was  to  know  if  he  intended 
them  well  or  no.  The  circle  of  meal  signified  their  coun 
try,  the  circles  of  corn  the  bounds  of  the  sea,  and  the  sticks 
his  country.  They  imagined  the  world  to  be  flat  and  round 
like  a  trencher,  and  they  in  the  midst." 

Thus  far  is  Smith's  story  of  conjuration  concerning  him 
self  ;  but  when  he  says  they  encircled  the  fire  with  wheat, 
I  am  apt  to  believe  he  means  their  Indian  corn,  which 
eome,  contrary  to  the  custom  of  the  rest  of  mankind  will 
still  call  by  the  name  of  Indian  wheat. 

The  latter  story  of  conjuration  is  this :  Some  few  years 
ago,  there  happened  a  very  dry  time  towards  the  heads  of 
the  rivers,  and  especially  on  the  upper  parts  of  James  river, 
where  Col.  Byrd  had  several  quarters  of  negroes.  This 
gentleman  has  been  for  a  long  time  extremely  respected  and 
feared  by  all  the  Indians  round  about,  who,  without  know 
ing  the  name  of  any  governor,  have  ever  been  kept  in  or 
der  by  him.  During  this  drought,  an  Indian,  well  known 
to  one  of  the  Colonel's  overseers,  came  to  him,  and  ask 
ed  if  his  tobacco  was  not  like  to  be  spoiled?  The  over 
seer  answered  yes,  if  they  had  not  rain  very  suddenly 
The  Indian,  who  pretended  great  kindness  for  his  master, 
told  the  overseer  if  he  would  promise  to  give  him  two 
bottles  of  rum,  he  would  bring  him  rain  enough.  The 
overseer  did  not  believe  anything  of  the  matter,  not  see- 


160  RELIGION.,    WORSHIP    AND    CUSTOMS. 

ing  at  that,  time  the  least  appearance  of  rain,  nor  so  much 
as  a  cloud  in  the  sky  ;  however,  he  promised  to  give  him 
the  rum  when  his  master  came  thither,  if  he  would  be  as 
good  as  his  word.  Upon  this,  the  Indian  went  immediately 
a  pauwawing  as  they  call  it,  and  in  about  half  an  hour, 
there  came  up  a  black  cloud  into  the  sky  that  showered 
down  rain  enough  upon  this  gentleman's  corn  and  tobacco, 
but  none  at  all  upon  any  of  the  neighbors,  except  a  few 
drops  of  the  skirts  of  the  shower.  The  Indian  for  that 
time  went  away  without  returning  to  the  overseer  again, 
till  he  heard  of  his  master's  arrival  at  the  falls,  and  then 
he  came  to  him  and  demanded  the  two  bottles  of  rum. 
The  Colonel  at  first  seemed  to  know  nothing  of  the  mat 
ter,  and  asked  the  Indian  for  what  reason  he  made  that 
demand?  (Although  his  overseer  had  been  so  overjoyed 
at  what  had  happened  that  he  could  not  rest  till  he  had 
taken  a  horse  and  rode  near  forty  miles  to  tell  his  mas 
ter  the  story.)  The  Indian  answered  with  some  concern, 
that  he  hoped  the  overseer  had  let  him  know  the  ser 
vice  he  had  done  him,  by  bringing  a  shower  of  rain  to 
save  his  crop.  At  this  the  Colonel,  not  being  apt  to  be 
lieve  such  stories,  smiled,  and  told  him  he  was  a  cheat, 
and  had  seen  the  cloud  acoming,  otherwise  he  could  nei 
ther  have  brought  the  rain  nor  so  much  as  foretold  it. 
The  Indian  at  this,  seeming  much  troubled,  replied,  why 
then  had  not  such  a  one,  and  such  a  one,  (naming  the 
next  neighbor,)  rain,  as  well  as  your  overseer?  for  they  lost 
their  crops,  but  I  loved  you  and  therefore  I  saved  yours. 
The  Colonel  made  sport  with  him  a  little  while,  but  in 
the  end  ordered  him  the  two  bottles  of  rum,  letting  him 
undestand,  however,  that  it  was  a  free  gift,  and  not  the 
consequence  of  any  bargain  with  his  overseer. 

§  32.  The  Indians  have  their  altars  and  places  of  sacri 
fice.  Some  say  they  now  and  then  sacrifice  young  chil 
dren  j  but  they  deny'  it,  and  assure  us,  that  when  they 
withdraw  their  children,  it  is  not  to  sacrifice  them,  but  to 
consecrate  them  to  the  service  of  their  god.  Smith  tells 


RELIGION,    WORSHIP    AND    CUSTOMS.  161 

of  one  of  these  sacrifices  in  his  time,  from  the  testimony  of 
some  people  who  had  been  eye-witnesses.  His  words  are 
these,  (vol.  1,  p.  140)  : 

•'  Fifteen  of  the  properest  young  boys,  between  ten  and 
fifteen  years  of  age,  they  painted  white  ;  having  brought 
them  forth,  the  people  spent  the  forenoon  in  dancing  and 
singing  about  them  with  rattles.  In  the  afternoon,  they  put 
these  children  to  the  root  of  a  tree.  By  them  all  the  men 
stood  in  a  guard,  every  one  having  a  bastinado  in  his  hand, 
made  of  reeds  bound  together.  They  made  a  lane  between 
them  all  along,  through  which  there  were  appointed  five 
young  men  to  fetch  these  children  :  so  every  one  of  the 
five  went  through  the  guard  to  fetch  a  child  each  after  other 
by  turns  ;  the  guard  fiercely  beating  them  with  their  bas 
tinadoes,  and  they  patiently  enduring  and  receiving  all,  de 
fending  the  children  with  their  naked  bodies  from  the  un 
merciful  blows,  that  pay  them  soundly,  though  the  chil 
dren  escape.  All  this  while  the  women  weep  and  cry  out 
very  passionately,  providing  mats,  skins,  moss  and  dry 
wood,  as  things  fitting  for  their  children's  funeral.  After 
the  children  were  thus  past  the  guard,  the  guards  tore  down 
the  tree,  branches  and  boughs  with  such  violence,  that  they 
rent  the  body,  made  wreaths  for  their  heads,  and  bedecked 
their  hair  with  the  leaves. 

"  What  else  was  done  with  the  children  was  not  seen; 
but  they  were  all  cast  on  a  heap  in  a  valley  as  dead,  where 
they  made  a  great  feast  for  all  the  company. 

"The  Werowance  being  demanded  the  meaning  of  this  sa 
crifice,  answered,  that  the  children  were  not  dead,  but  that 
the  Okee  or  devil  did  suck  the  blood  from  the  left  breast  of 
those,  who  chanced  to  be  his  by  lot,  till  they  were  dead  • 
but  the  rest  were  kept  in  the  wilderness  by  the  young  men, 
till  nine  months  were  expired,  during  which  time  they  must 
not  converse  with  any  ;  and  of  these  were  made  their  priests 
and  conjurers." 

How  far  Captain  Smith  might  be  misinformed  in  this  ac 
count,  I  can't  say,  or  whether  their  Okee's  sucking  the 
'21 


162  RELIGION,    WORSHIP    AND    CUSTOMS. 

breast,  be  only  a  delusion  or  pretence  of  the  physician,  (or 
priest,  who  is  always  a  physician,)  to  prevent  all  reflection 
on  his  skill  when  any  happened  to  die  under  his  discipline. 
This  I  choose  rather  to  believe,  than  those  religious  ro 
mances  concerning  their  Okee.  For  I  take  this  story  of 
Smith's  to  be  only  an  example  of  huskanawing,  which  be 
ing  a  ceremony  then  altogether  unknown  to  him,  he  might 
easily  mistake  some  of  the  circumstances  of  it. 

The  solemnity  of  huskanawing  is  commonly  practiced 
once  every  fourteen  or  sixteen  years,  or  oftener,  as  their 
young  men  happen  to  grow  up.  It  is  an  institution  or  dis 
cipline  which  all  young  men  must  pass  before  they  can  be 
admitted  to  be  of  the  number  of  the  great  men,  officers,  or 
cockarouses  of  the  nation  ;  whereas,  by  Capt.  Smith's  rela 
tion,  they  were  only  set  apart  to  supply  the  priesthood.  The 
whole  ceremony  of  huskanawing  is  performed  after  the  fol 
lowing  manner  : 

The  choicest  and  briskest  young  men  of  the  town,  and 
such  only  as  have  acquired  some  treasure  by  their  travels 
and  hunting,  are  chosen  out  by  the  rulers  to  be  huska- 
nawed  ;  and  whoever  refuses  to  undergo  this  process  dares 
not  remain  among  them.  Several  of  those  odd  preparatory 
fopperies  are  premised  in  the  beginning,  which  have  been 
before  related  ;  but  the  principal  part  of  the  business  is,  to 
carry  them  into  the  woods,  and  there  keep  them  under 
confinement,  and  destitute  of  all  society  for  several  months, 
giving  them  no  other  sustenance  but  the  infusion,  or  decoc 
tion,  of  some  poisonous,  intoxicating  roots  ;  by  virtue  of 
which  physic,  and  by  the  severity  of  the  discipline  which  they 
undergo,  they  became  stark,  staring  mad  ;  in  which  raving 
condition,  they  are  kept  eighteen  or  twenty  days.  During 
these  extremities,  they  are  shut  up,  night  and  day,  in  a 
strong  inclosure,  made  on  purpose  ;  one  of  which  I  saw  be 
longing  to  the  Pamunky  Indians,  in  the  year  1694.  It  was 
in  shape  like  a  sugar  loaf,  and  every  way  open  like  a  lat 
tice  for  the  air  to  pass  through,  as  in  tab.  4,  fig.  3.  In  this 
cage,  thirteen  young  men  had  been  huskanawed,  and  had 


RELIGION,    WORSH  P    AND    CUSTOMS.  163 

not  been  a  month  set  at  liberty  when  1  saw  it.  Upon  this 
occasion,  it  is  pretended  that  these  poor  creatures  drink  so  much 
of  that  water  of  Lethe,  that  they  perfectly  lose  the  remem 
brance  of  all  former  things,  even  of  their  parents,  their  treasure, 
and  their  language.  When  the  doctors  find  that  they  have 
drank  sufficiently  of  the  wysoccan,  (so  they  call  this  mad  po 
tion,)  they  gradually  restore  them  to  their  senses  again,  by  les 
sening  the  intoxication  of  their  diet  ;  but  before  they  are  per 
fectly  well,  they  bring  them  back  into  their  towns,  while 
they  are  still  wild  and  crazy,  through  the  violence  of  the 
medicine.  After  this,  they  are  very  fearful  of  discovering  any 
thing  of  their  former  remembrance  ;  for  if  such  a  thing 
should  happen  to  any  of  them,  they  must  immediately  be 
huskanawed  again  ;.  and  the  second  time,  the  usage  is  ?o 
severe,  that  seldom  any  one  escapes  with  life.  Thus  they 
must  pretend  to  have  forgot  the  very  use  of  their  tongues, 
so  as  not  to  be  able  to  speak,  nor  understand  anything  that 
is  spoken,  till  they  learn  it  again.  Now,  whether  this  be 
real  or  counterfeit,  I  dont  know  ;  but  certain  it  is,  that  they 
will  not  for  some  time  take  notice  of  any  body,  nor  any 
thing  with  which  they  were  before  acquainted,  being  still 
under  the  guard  of  their  keepers,  who  constantly  wait  upon 
them  everywhere  till  they  have  learnt  all  things  perfectly 
over  again.  Thus  they  unlive  their  former  lives,  and  com 
mence  men  by  forgetting  that  they  ever  have  been  boys.  If, 
under  this  exercise,  any  one  should  die,  I  suppose  the  story 
of  Okee,  mentioned  by  Smith,  is  the  salvo  for  it  ;  for,  (says 
he)  Okee  was  to  have  such  as  were  his  by  lot,  and  such 
were  said  to  be  sacrificed. 

Now  this  conjecture  is  the  more  probable,  because  we 
know  that  Okee  has  not  a  share  in  every  huskanawing  ; 
for  though  two  young  men  happened  to  come  short  home, 
in  that  of  the  Pamunky  Indians,  which  was  performed  in 
the  year  1694,  yet  the  Appomattoxs,  formerly  a  great  na 
tion,  though  now  an  inconsiderable  people,  made  a  huska- 
naw  in  the  year  1690,  and  brought  home  the  same  num 
ber  they  carried  out. 


164  RELIGION,    WORSHIP    AND    CUSTOMS. 

§  33.  I  can  account  no  other  way  for  the  great  pains  and 
secrecy  of  the  keepers,  during  the  whole  process  of  this  dis 
cipline,  but  by  assuring  you,  that  it  is  the  most  meritorious 
thing  in  the  world  to  discharge  that  trust  well,  in  order  to 
their  preferment  to  the  greatest  posts  in  the  nation,  which 
they  claim  as  their  undoubted  right,  in  the  next  promo 
tion.  On  the  other  hand,  they  are  sure  of  a  speedy  pass 
port  into  the  other  world,  if  they  should,  by  their  levity  or 
neglect,  shew  themselves  in  the  least  unfaithful. 

Those  which  I  have  observed  to  have  been  huskanawed, 
were  lively,  handsome,  well  timbered  young  men,  from  fif 
teen  to  twenty  years  of  age,  or  upward,  and  such  as  were 
generally  reputed  rich.* 

I  confess,  I  judged  it  at  the  first  sight  to  be  only  an  in 
vention  of  the  seniors,  to  engross  the  young  men's  riches  to 
themselves  ;  for,  after  suffering  this  operation,  they  never 
pretended  to  call  to  mind  anything  of  their  former  property  ; 
but  their  goods  were  either  shared  by  the  old  men,  or  brought 
to  some  public  use  ;  and  so  those  younkers  were  obliged 
to  begin  the  world  again. 

But  the  Indians  detest  this  opinion,  and  pretend  that  this 
violent  method  of  taking  away  the  memory,  is  to  release 
the  youth  from  all  their  childish  impressions,  and  from  that 
strong  partiality  to  persons  and  things,  which  is  contracted 
before  reason  comes  to  take  place.  They  hope  by  this  pro 
ceeding,  to  root  out  all  the  prepossessions  and  unreasona 
ble  prejudices  which  are  fixed  in  the  minds  of  children.  So 
that,  when  the  young  men  come  to  themselves  again,  their 
reason  may  act  freely,  without  being  biased  by  the  cheats 
of  custom  and  education.  Thus,  also,  they  become  dis 
charged  from  (he  remembrance  of  any  ties  by  blood,  and 
are  established  in  a  state  of  equality  and  perfect  freedom, 
to  order  their  actions,  and  dispose  of  their  persons,  as  they 
think  fit,  without  any  other  control  than  that  of  the 
law  of  nature.  By  this  means  also  they  become  qualified, 
when  they  have  any  public  office,  equally  and  impartially 
to  administer  justice,  without  having  respect  either  to  friend 


RELIGION,    WORSHIP    AND    CUSTOMS.  165 

or  relation.     PufTend.  p.  7,  book  I.     A    proselyte    of  justice 
of  the  Jews  had  a  new  soul. 

§34.  The  Indians  offer  sacrifice  almost  upon  every  new 
occasion  ;  as  when  they  travel  or  begin  a  long  journey,  they 
burn  tobacco  instead  of  incense,  to  the  sun,  to  bribe  him  to 
send  them  fair  weather,  and  a  prosperous  voyage.  When 
they  cross  any  great  water,  or  violent  fresh,  or  torrent,  they 
throw  in  tobacco,  puccoon,  peak,  or  some  other  valuable 
tiling,  that  they  happen  to  have  about  them,  to  intreat  the 
spirit  presiding  there  to  grant  them  a  safe  passage.  It  is  call 
ed  a  fresh,  when  after  very  great  rains,  or  (as  we  suppose) 
after  a  great  thaw  of  the  snow  and  ice  lying  upon  the 
mountains  to  the  westward,  the  water  descends  in  such  abun 
dance  into  the  rivers,  that  they  overflow  the  banks,  which 
bound  their  streams  at  other  times 

Likewise,  when  the  Indians  return  from  war,  from  hunt 
ing,  from  great  jcuineys  or  the  like,  they  offer  some  propor 
tion  of  their  spoils,  of  their  chiefest  tobacco,  furs  and  paint, 
as  also  the  fat,  and  choice  bits  of  their  game 

§35.  I  never  could  learn  that  they  had  any  certain 
time  or  set  days  for  their  solemnities  ;  but  they  have  ap 
pointed  feasts  that  happen  according  to  the  several  seasons. 
They  solemnize  a  day  for  the  plentiful  coming  of  their 
wild  fowl,  such  as  geese,  ducks,  teal,  &c.,  for  the  returns 
of  their  hunting  seasons,  and  for  the  ripening  of  certain 
fruits  ;  but  the  greatest  annual  feast  they  have,  is  at  the 
time  of  their  corn-gathering,  at  which  they  revel  several 
days  together.  To  these  they  universally  contribute,  as 
they  do  to  the  gathering  in  the  corn.  On  this  occasion, 
they  have  their  greatest  variety  of  pastimes,  and  more  es 
pecially  of  their  war-dances  and  heroic  songs  ;  in  which 
they  boast,  that  their  corn  being  now  gathered,  they  have 
store  enough  for  their  women  and  children,  and  have 
nothing  to  do,  but  to  go  to  war,  travel,  and  to  seek  out 
for  new  adventures. 

§36.      They   make    their   account    by   units,    tens,    hun 
dreds,  &c.,  as   we   do  ;    but   they   reckon   the   years   by   the 


166  RELIGION,    WORSHIP    AND    CUSTOMS. 

winters,  or  cobonks,  as  they  call  them  ;  which  is  a  name 
taken  from  the  note  of  the  wild-geese,  intimating  so  many 
limes  of  the  wild  geese  coming  to  them,  which  is  every 
winter.  They  distinguish  the  several  parts  of  the  year, 
by  five  seasons,  viz  :  the  budding  or  blossoming  of  the 
spring  5  the  earing  of  the  corn,  or  roasting-ear  time  ;  the 
summer,  or  highest  sun  ;  the  corn-gathering  or  fall  of  the 
leaf,  and  the  winter,  or  cobonks.  .  They  count  the  months 
likewise  by  the  moons,  though  not  with  any'  relation  to 
so  many  in  a  year,  as  we  do  ;  but  they  make  them  re 
turn  again  by  the  same  name,  as  the  moon  of  stags,  the 
corn  moon,  the  first  and  second  moon  of  cobonks,  &c. 
They  have  no  distinction  of  the  hours  of  the  day,  but 
divide  it  only  into  three  parts,  the  rise,  power,  and  low 
ering  of  the  sun.  And  they  keep  their  account  by  knots 
on  a  string,  or  notches  on  a  stick,  not  unlike  the  Peruvian 
quippoes. 

§  37.  In  this  state  of  nature,  one  would  think  they 
should  be  as  pure  from  superstition,  and  overdoing  matters 
in  religion,  as  they  are  in  other  things  ;  but  I  %find  it  is 
quite  the  contrary  ;  for  this  simplicitv  gives  the  cunning 
priest  a  greater  advantage  over  them,  according  to  the  Romish 
maxim,  tc  Ignorance  is  the  mother  of  devotion"  For, 
no  bigotted  pilgiim  appears  more  zealous,  or  strains  his 
devotion  more  at  the  shrine,  than  these  believing  Indians 
do,  in  their  idolatrous  adorations.  Neither  do  the  most 
refined  Catholics  undergo  their  pennance  with  so  much  sub 
mission,  as  these  poor  Pagans  do  the  severities  which  their 
priests  inflict  upon  them. 

They  have  likewise  in  other  cases  many  fond  and  idle 
superstitions,  as  for  the  purpose.  By  the  falls  of  James 
river  upon  Colonel  Byrd's  land,  there  lies  a  rock  which  I 
have  seen,  about  a  mile  from  the  river,  wherein  are  fairly 
imprest  several  marks  like  the  footsteps  of  a  gigantic  man, 
each  step  being  about  five  feet  asunder.  These  they  aver 
to  be  the  track  of  their  God. 

This    is    not    unlike     what    the    fathers    of     the    Romish 


RELIGION,    WORSHIP    AND    CUSTOMS.  10? 

Church    tell    us,    that   our   Lord    left   the    print   of     His   fee. 
on    the   stone,    whereon    he   stood    while    he   talked    with   Si 
Peter;  which  stone   was  afterward  preserved  as  a  very  sacre  i 
relic;   and  after   several  translations,   was  at   last  fixed  in  the 
Church  of   St.   Sebastian,   the   martyr,   where  it  is  kept,  and 
visited    with    great   expressions  of  devotion.     So    that  the  In 
dians,  as  well  as  these,    are  not  without    their    pious  frauds:. 

§38.  As  the  people  have  a  great  reverence  for  the  priest, 
so  the  priest  very  oddly  endeavours  to  preserve  their  respect, 
by  being  as  hideously  ugly  as  he  can,  especially  when  he 
appears  in  public  ;  for  besides,  that  the  cut  of  his  hair  is 
peculiar  to  his  function,  as  in  tab.  4,  book  3,  and  the 
hanging  of  his  cloak,  with  the  fur  reversed  ;md  falling 
down  in  flakes,  looks  horridly  shagged,  he  likewise  bedaubs 
himself  in  that  frightful  manner  with  paint,  that  he  terri 
fies  the  people  into  a  veneration  for  him. 

The  conjuror  is  a  partner  with  the  priest,  not  only  in 
the  cheat,  but  in  the  advantages  of  it,  and  sometimes  they 
officiate  for  one  another.  When  this  artist  is  in  the  act 
of  conjuration,  or  of  pamvawing,  as  they  term  it,  he 
always  appears  with  an  air  of  haste,  or  else  in  some  con 
vulsive  posture,  that  seems  to  strain  all  the  faculties,  like 
the  Sybils,  when  they  appeared  to  be  under  the  power  of 
inspiration.  At  these  times,  he  has  a  black  bird  with  ex 
panded  wings  fastened  to  his  ear,  differing  in  nothing  but 
color,  from  Mahomet's  pigeon.  He  has  no  clothing  but 
a  small  skin  before,  and  a  pocket  at  his  girdle,  as  in  tab. 
4,  book  3. 

The  Indians  never  go  about  any  considerable  enterprise, 
without  first  consulting  their  priests  and  conjurers  ;  for  the 
most  ingenious  amongst  them  are  brought  up  to  those  func 
tions,  and  by  that  means  become  better  instructed  in  their 
histories,  than  the  rest  of  the  people.  They  likewise  engross 
to  themselves  all  the  knowledge  of  nature,  which  is  hand 
ed  to  them  by  tradition  from  their  forefathers;  by  which 
means  they  are  able  to  make  a  truer  judgment  of  things, 
and  consequently  are  more  capable  of  advising  those  that 


168  RELIGION,    WORSHIP    AND    CUSTOMS. 

consult  them  upon  all  occasions.  These  reverend  gentle 
men  are  not  so  entirely  given  up  to  their  religious  auste 
rities,  but  they  sometimes  lake  their  pleasure  (as  well  as 
the  laity)  in  fishing,  fowling  and  hunting. 

§39.  The  Indians  have  posts  fixed  round  their  Quioc- 
cassan,  which  have  men's  faces  carved  upon  them,  and 
are  painted.  They  are  likewise  set  up  round  some  of 
their  other  celebrated  places,  and  make  a  circle  for  them 
to  dance  about  on  certain  solemn  occasions.  They  very  of 
ten  set  up  pyramidal  stones  and  pillars,  which  they  color 
with  puccoon,  and  other  sorts  of  paint,  and  which  they 
adorn  with  peak,  roenoke,  &c.  To  these  they  pay  all 
outward  signs  of  worship  and  devotion,  not  as  to  God, 
but  as  they  are  hieroglyphics  of  the  permanency  and  im 
mutability  of  the  Deity  ;  because  these,  both  for  figure 
and  substance,  are  of  all  sublunary  bodies,  the  least  sutf- 
ject  to  decay  or  change ;  they  also,  for  the  same  reason, 
keep  baskets  of  stones  in  their  cabins.  Upon  this  account 
too,  they  offer  sacrifice  to  running  streams,  which  by  the 
perpetuity  of  their  motion,  typify  the  eternity  of  God. 

They  erect  altars  wherever  they  have  any  remarkable  oc 
casion,  and  because  their  principal  devotion  consists  in  sa 
crifice,  they  have  a  profound  respect  for  these  altars.  They 
have  one  particular  altar,  to  which,  for  some  mystical  rea 
son,  many  of  their  nations  pay  an  extraordinary  veneration  ; 
of  this  sort  was  ihe  crystal  cube,  mentioned  book  II,  chap. 
3,  §  9.  The  Indians  call  this  by  the  name  of  pawcorance, 
from  whence  proceeds  the  great  reverence  they  have  for  a 
small  bird  that  uses  the  woods,  and  in  their  note  continu 
ally  sound  that  name.  This  bird  flies  alone,  and  is  only 
heard  in  the  twilight.  They  say,  this  is  the  soul  of  one 
of  their  princes ;  and  on  that  score,  they  would  not  hurt 
it  for  the  world.  But  there  was  once  a  profane  Indian  in 
the  upper  parts  of  James  river,  who,  after  abundance  of 
fears  and  scruples,  was  at  last  bribed  to  kill  one  of  them 
with  his  gun  ;  but  the  Indians  say  he  paid  dear  for  his  pre- 


RELIGION,    WORSHIP   AND    CUSTOMS.  169 

sumption  ;  for  in  a  few  days  after  lie  was  taken  away,  and 
never  more  heard  of.  I  have  young  birds  of  this  kind. 

When  they  travel  by  any  of  these  altars,  they  take  great 
care  to  instruct  their  children  and  young  people  in  the  par 
ticular  occasion  and  time  of  their  erection,  and  recommend 
the  respect  which  they  ought  to  have  for  them  ;  so  that 
their  careful  observance  of  these  traditions  proves  almost  as 
good  a  memorial  of  such  antiquities  as  written  records, 
especially  for  so  long  as  the  same  people  continue  to  inhabit 
in  or  near  the  same  place. 

I  can't  understand  that  their  women  ever  pretended  to  in 
termeddle  with  any  offices  that  relate  to  the  priesthood  or 
conjuration. 

§  40.  The  Indians  are  religious  in  preserving  the  corpses 
of  their  kings  and  rulers  after  death,  which  they  order  in 
the  following  manner :  First,  they  neatly  flay  off  the  skin  as 
entire  as  they  can,  slitting  it  only  in  the  back  ;  then  they 
pick  all  the  flesh  off  from  the  bones  as  clean  as  possible, 
leaving  the  sinews  fastened  to  the  bones,  that  they  may 
preserve  the  joints  together ;  then  they  dry  the  bones  in 
the  sun,  and  put  them  into  the  skin  again,  which,  in  the 
meantime,  has  been  kept  from  drying  or  shrinking  ;  when 
the  bones  are  placed  right  in  the  skin,  they  nicely  fill 
up  the  vacuities  with  a  very  fine  white  sand.  After  this 
they  sew  up  the  skin  again,  and  the  body  looks  as  if  the 
flesh  had  not  been  removed.  They  take  care  to  keep  the 
skin  from  shrinking,  by  the  help  of  a  little  oil  or  grease, 
which  saves  it  also  from  corruption.  The  skin  being 
thus  prepared,  they  lay  it  in  an  apartment  fot  that  pur 
pose,  upon  a  large  shelf  raised  above  the  floor.  This  shelf 
is  spread  with  mats,  for  the  corpse  to  rest  easy  on,  and 
skreened  with  the  same,  to  keep  it  from  the  dust.  The 
flesh  they  lay  upon  hurdles  in  the  sun  to  dry,  and  when 
it  is  thoroughly  dried,  it  is  sewed  up  in  a  basket,  and  set 
at  the  feet  of  the  corpse,  to  which  it  belongs.  In  this 
place  also  they  set  up  a  quioccos,  or  idol,  which  they  be 
lieve  will  be  a  guard  to  the  corpse.  Here  night  and  day 


170  RELIGION,    WORSHIP    AND    CUSTOMS. 

one  or  other  of  the  priests  must  give  his  attendance,  to  take 
care  of  the  dead  bodies.  So  great  an  honor  and  veneration 
have  these  ignorant  and  unpolished  people  for  their  princes, 
even  after  I  hey  are  dead. 

The  mat  is  supposed  to  be  turned  up  in  the  figure, 
that  the  inside  may  be  viewed. 

TAB.  12.  Represents  the  burial  of  the   kings. 


Tab  n 


Book  5 


CHAPTER    IX. 


OF    THE    DISEASES    AND    CURES    OF    THE    INDIANS. 

§  41.  The  Indians  are  not  subject  to  many  diseases  ;  and 
such  as  they  have,  generally  come  from  excessive  heats  and 
sudden  colds,  which  they  aa  suddenly  get  away  by  sweat 
ing.  But  if  the  humor  happen  to  fix,  and  make  a  pain 
in  any  particular  joint,  or  limb,  their  general  cure  then  is 
by  burning,  if  it  be  in  any  part  that  will  bear  it ;  their 
method  of  doing  this  is  by  little  sticks  of  lightwood,  the  coal 
of  which  will  burn  like  a  hot  iron  ;  the  sharp  point  of  ihis 
they  run  into  the  flesh,  and  having  made  a  sore,  keep  it 
running  till  the  humor  be  drawn  off;  or  else  they  take 
punk,  (which  is  a  sort  of  soft  touchwood,  cut  out  of  the 
knots  of  oak  or  hickory  trees,  but  the  hickory  affords  the 
best,)  this  they  shape  like  a  cone,  (as  the  Japanese  do  their 
moxa  for  the  gout,)  and  apply  the  basis  of  it  to  the  place 
affected.  Then  they  set  fire  to  it,  letting  it  burn  out  upon 
the  part,  which  makes  a  running  sore  effectually. 

They  use  sucking  in  sores  frequently,  and  scarifying, 
which,  like  the  Mexicans,  they  perform  with  a  rattlesnake's 
tooth.  They  seldom  cut  deeper  than  (he  epidermis,  by 
which  means  they  give  passage  to  those  sharp  waterish 
humors  that  lie  between  the  two  skins,  and  cause  inflam 
mations.  Sometimes  they  make  use  of  reeds  for  cauterizing, 
which  they  heat  over  the  fire,  till  they  are  ready  to  flame, 
and  then  apply  them  upon  a  piece  of  thin  wet  leather  to 
the  place  aggrieved,  which  makes  the  heat  more  piercing. 

Their  piiests  are  always  physicians,  and  by  the  method 
of  their  education  in  the  priesthood,  are  made  very  know 
ing  Lin  the  hidden  qualities  of  plants  and  other  natural 


172  DISEASES    AND    CURES    OF    THE    INDIANS. 

things,  which  they  count  a  part  of  their  religion  to  conceal 
from  everybody,  but  from  those  that  are  to  succeed  them 
in  their  holy  function.  They  tell  us  their  god  will  be 
angry  with  them  if  they  should  discover  that  part  of  their 
knowledge  ;  so  they  suffer  only  the  rattlesnake  root  to  be 
known,  and  such  other  antidotes,  as  must  be  immediately 
applied,  because  their  doctors  can't  be  always  at  hand 
to  remedy  those  sudden  misfortunes  which  generally  hap 
pen  in  their  hunting  or  traveling. 

They  call  their  physic  wisoccan,  not  from  the  name  of 
any  particular  root  or  plant,  but  as  it  signifies  medicine  in 
general.  So  that  Hetiot,  De  Bry,  Smith,  Purchass  and  De 
Laet,  seem  all  to  be  mistaken  in  the  meaning  of  this  word 
wighsacan,  which  they  make  to  be  the  name  of  a  particular 
root ;  and  so  is  Parkinson  in  the  word  woghsacan,  which  he 
will  have  to  be  the  name  of  a  plant.  Nor  do  I  think 
there  is  better  authority  for  applying  the  word  wisank  to 
the  plant  vinceloxicum  indianum  germanicum,  or  winank 
to  the  sassafras  tree. 

The  physic  of  the  Indians  consists  for  the  most  part  in 
the  roots  and  barks  of  trees,  they  very  rarely  using  the 
leaves  either  of  herbs  or  trees  ;  what  they  give  inwardly, 
they  infuse  in  water,  and  what  they  apply  outwardly,  they 
stamp  or  bruise,  adding  water  to  it,  if  it  has  not  moisture 
enough  of  itself ;  with  the  thin  of  this  they  bath  the  part 
affected,  then  lay  on  the  thick,  after  the  manner  of  a 
poultice,  and  commonly  dress  round,  leaving  the  sore  place 
bare. 

§  42.  They  take  great  delight  in  sweating,  and  there 
fore  in  every  town  they  have  a  sweating  house,  and  a 
doctor  is  paid  by  the  public  to  attend  it.  They  commonly 
use  this  to  refresh  themselves,  after  they  have  been  fatigued 
with  hunting.,  travel,  or  the  like,  or  else  when  they  are 
troubled  with  agues,  aches,  or  pains  in  their  limbs.  Their 
method  is  thus  :  the  doctor  takes  three  or  four  large  stones, 
which  after  having  heated  red  hot,  he  places  them  in  the 
middle  of  the  stove,  laying  on  them  some  of  the  inner  bark 


DISEASES    AND    CURES    OF    THE    INDIANS.  173 

of  oak  beaten  in  a  mortar,  to  keep  them  from  burning. 
This  being  done,  they  creep  in  six  or  eight  at  a  time,  or 
as  many  as  the  place  will  hold,  and  then  close  up  the 
mouth  of  the  stove,  which  is  usually  made  like  an  oven, 
in  some  bank  near  the  water  side.  In  the  meanwhile 
the  doctor  to  raise  a  steam,  after  they  have  been  stewing 
a  little  while,  pours  cold  water  on  the  stones,  and  now 
and  then  sprinkles  the  men  to  keep  them  from  fainting. 
After  they  have  sweat  as '  long  as  they  can  well  endure  it, 
they  sally  out,  and  (though  it  be  in  the  depth  of  winter) 
forthwith  plunge  themselves  over  head  and  ears  in  cold  wa 
ter,  which  instantly  closes  up  the  pores,  and  preserves  them 
fiom  taking  cold.  The  heat  being  thus  suddenly  driven 
from  the  extreme  parts  to  the  heart,  makes  them  a  little 
feeble  for  the  present,  but  their  spirits  rally  again,  and 
they  instantly  recover  their  strength,  and  find  their  joints 
as  supple  and  vigorous  as  if  they  never  had  traveled,  or 
been  indisposed.  So  that  I  may  say  as  Bellonius  does  in 
his  observations  on  the  Turkish  bagnio's,  all  the  crudities 
contracted  in  their  bodies  are  by  this  means  evaporated 
and  carried  off.  The  Muscovites  and  Finlanders  are  said 
to  use  this  way  of  sweating  also.  "  It  is  almost  a  mira 
cle,"  says  Olearius,  "  to  see  how  their  bodies,  accustomed 
to  and  hardened  by  cold,  can  endure  so  intense  a  heat,  and 
how  that  when  they  are  not  able  to  endure  it  longer, 
they  come  out  of  the  stoves  as  naked  as  they  were  born, 
both  men  and  women,  and  plunge  into  cold  water,  or  cause 
it  to  be  poured  on  them."  Trav.  into  Muse.,  1,  3,  page  67. 
The  Indians  also  pulverize  the  roots  of  a  kind  of  anchuse, 
or  yellow  alkanel,  which  they  call  puccoon,  and  of  a  sort  of 
wild  angelica,  and  mixing  them  together  with  bear's  oil, 
make  a  yellow  ointment,  with  which,  after  they  have 
bathed,  they  anoint  themselves  Capapee  ;  this  supples  the 
skin,  renders  them  nimble  and  active,  and  withal  so  closes 
up  the  pores,  that  they  lose  but  few  of  their  spirits  by 
perspiration.  Piso  relates  the  same  of  the  Brazilians  j  and 
my  Lord  Bacon  asserts,  that  oil  and  fat  things  do  no  less 


174  DISEASES    AND    CURES    OP   THE    INDIANS. 

conserve  the  substance  of  the  body,  than  oil-colors  and  var 
nish  do  that  of  the  wood. 

They  have  also  a  farther  advantage  of  this  ointment  ; 
for  it  keeps  all  lice,  fleas,  and  other  troublesome  vermine 
from  coming  near  (hem  ;  which  otherwise,  by  reason  of  the 
nastiness  of  their  cabins,  they  would  be  very  much  infested 
with. 

Smith  talks  of  this  puccoon,  as  if  it  only  grew  on  the 
mountains,  whereas  it  is  common  to  all  the  plantations  of 
the  English,  now  on  the  land  frontiers. 


CHAPTEE  X. 


OF   THE    SPORTS    AND    PASTIMES    OF    THE    INDIANS. 

§43.  Their  sports  and  pastimes  are  singing,  dancing,  in 
strumental  music,  and  some  boisterous  plays,  which  are  per 
formed  by  running,  catching  and  leaping  upon  one  another ; 
they  have  also  one  great  diversion,  to  the  practicing  of 
which  are  requisite  whole  handfuls  of  little  sticks  or  hard 
straws,  which  they  know  how  to  count  as  fast  as  they  can 
cast  their  eyes  upon  them,  and  can  handle  with  a  surprising 
dexterity. 

Their  singing  is  not  the  most  charming  that  I  have 
heard  ;  it  consists  much  in  exalting  the  voice,  and  is  full  of 
slow  melancholy  accents.  However,  I  must  allow  even  this 
music  to  contain  some  wild  notes  that  are  agreeable. 

Their  dancing  is  performed  either  by  few  or  a  great  com 
pany,  but  without  much  regard  either  to  time  or  figure. 
The  first  of  these  is  by  one  or  two  persons,  or  at  most  by 
three.  In  the  meanwhile,  the  company  sit  about  them  in  a 
ring  upon  the  ground,  singing  outrageously  and  shaking 
their  rattles.  The  dancers  sometimes  sing,  and  sometimes 
look  menacing  and  terrible,  beating  their  feet  furiously 
against  the  ground,  and  shewing  ten  thousand  grimaces  and 
distortions.  The  other  is  performed  by  a  great  number  of 
people,  the  dancers  themselves  forming  a  ring,  and  moving 
round  a  circle  of  carved  posts,  that  are  set  up  for  that  pur 
pose  ;  or  else  round  a  fire,  made  in  a  convenient  part  of 
the  town  ;  and  then  each  has  his  rattle  in  his  hand,  or 
what  other  thing  he  fancies  most,  as  his  bow  and  arrows,  or 
his  tomahawk.  They  also  dress  themselves  up  with  branches 
of  trees,  or  some  other  strange  accoutrements.  Thus  they 


I  76  SPORTS    AND    PASTIMES 'OF    THE    INDIANS. 

proceed,  dancing  and  singing,  with  all  the  antic  postures 
they  can  invent  ;  and  he's  the  bravest  fellow  that  has  the 
most  prodigious  gestures.  Sometimes  they  place  three  young 
women  in  the  middle  of  the  circle,  as  you  may  see  in  the 
figure. 

TAB.  13.  Represents  a  solemn  festival  dance  of  the  In 
dians  round  their  carved  posts. 

Those  which  on  each  side  are  hopping  upon  their  hams, 
take  that  way  of  coming  tip  to  the  ring,  and  when  they 
find  an  opportunity  strike  in  among  the  rest. 

Captain  Smith  relates  the  particulars  of  a  dance  made  for 
his  entertainment,  by  Pocahontas,  daughter  of  the  emperor 
Powhatan, '  to  divert  him  till  her  father  came,  who  hap 
pened  not  to  be  at  home  when  Smith  arrived  at  his  town. 
Gen.  Hist.,  p.  194. 

"  In  a  fair  plain  field  they  made  a  fire,  before  which  he 
sat  down  upon  a  mat,  when  suddenly  amongst  the  woods 
was  heard  such  a  hideous  noise  and  shrieking,  that  the  En 
glish  betook  themselves  to  their  arms,  and  seized  on  two  or 
three  old  men  by  them,  supposing  Powhatan  with  all  his 
power  was  coming  to  surprise  them.  But  presently  Poca 
hontas  came,  willing  him  to  kill  her,  if  any  hurt  were  in 
tended  }  and  the  beholders,  which  were  men,  women  and 
children,  satisfied  the  captain  that  there  was  no  such  matter. 
Then  presently  they  were  presented  with* this  antic;  thirty 
young  women  came  naked  out  of  the  woods,  only  covered 
behind  and  before  with  a  few  green  leaves,  their  bodies  all 
painted,  some  of  one  color,  some  of  another,  but  all  differ 
ing  ;  their  leader  had  a  fair  pair  of  buck's  horns  on  her 
head,  an  otter's  skin  at  her  girdle,  another  at  her  arm,  a 
quiver  of  arrows  at  her  back,  and  a  bow  and  arrows  in  her 
hand.  The  next  had  in  her  hand  a  sword,  another  a  club, 
another  a  potstick  ;  all  of  them  being  horned  alike  :  the 
rest  were  all  set  out  with  their  several  devices.  These 
fiends,  with  most  hellish  shouts  and  cries,  rushing  from 
among  the  trees,  cast  themselves  in  a  ring  about  the  fire, 
tinging  and  dancing  with  most  excellent  ill  variety,  oft 


SPORTS    AND    PASTIMES    OF    THE    INDIANS.  177 

falling  into  their  infernal  passions,  and  then  solemnly  be 
taking  themselves  again  to  sing  and  dance  ;  having  spent  an 
hour  in  this  mascarado,  as  they  entered,  in  like  manner 
they  departed." 

They  have  a  fire  made  constantly  every  night,  at  a  con 
venient  place  in  the  town,  whither  all  that  have  a  mind  to 
be  merry,  at  the  public  dance  or  music,  resort  in  the  eve 
ning. 

Their  musical  instruments  are  chiefly  drums  and  rattles  : 
their  drums  are  made  of  a  skin,  stretched  over  an  earthen 
pot  half  full  of  water.  Their  rattles  are  the  shell  of  a 
small  gourd,  or  macock  of  the  creeping  kind,  and  not  of 
those  called  callibaches,  which  grow  upon  trees  ;  of  which 
the  Brazilians  make  their  maraka,  or  tamaraka,  a  sort  of 
rattle  also,  as  Clusius  seems  to  intimate. 


23 


CHAPTER  XI. 


OF  THE  LAWS,  AND  AUTHORITY  OF  THE  INDIANS  AMONG 
,  ONE  ANOTHER. 

§  44.  The  Indians  having  no  sort  of  letters  among 
them,  as  has  been  before  observed,  they  can  have  no  writ 
ten  laws  j  nor  did  the  constitution  in  which  we  found  them 
seem  to  need  many.  Nature  and  their  own  convenience 
having  taught  them  to  obey  one  chief,  who  is  arbiter  of  all 
things  among  them.  They  claim  no  property  in  lands,  but 
they  are  in  common  to  a  whole  nation.  Every  one  hunts 
and  fishes,  and  gathers  fruits  in  all  places.  Their  labor  in 
tending  corn,  pornpions,  melons,  &c.,  is  not  so  great,  that 
they  need  quarrel  for  room,  where  the  land  is  so  fertile, 
and  where  so  much  lies  uncultivated. 

They  bred  no  sort  of  cattle,  nor  had  anything  that  could 
be  called  riches.  They  valued  skins  and  furs  for  use,  and 
peak  and  roenoke  for  ornament. 

They  are  very  severe  in  punishing  ill  breeding,  of  which 
every  Werowance  is  undisputed  judge,  who  never  fails  to 
lay  a  rigorous  penalty  upon  it :  an  example  whereof  I  had 
from  a  gentleman  that  was  an  eye-witness  ;  which  was  this  : 

In  the  time  of  Bacon's  rebellion,  one  of  these  Werowan- 
ces,  attended  by  several  others  of  his  nation,  was  treating 
with  the  English  in  New  Kent  county  about  a  peace  ;  and 
during  the  time  of  his  speech,  one  of  his  attendants  pre 
sumed  to  interrupt  him,  which  he  resented  as  the  most  un 
pardonable  affront  that  could  be  offered  him  ;  and  therefore 
he  instantly  took  his  tomahawk  from  his  girdle  and  split  the 
fellow's  head  for  his  presumption.  The  poor  fellow  dying 
immediately  upon  the  spot,  he  commanded  some  of  his  men 


LAWS    AND    AUTHORITY    OP    THE    INDIANS.  179 

io  carry  him  out,  and  went  on  again  with  his  speech  where 
he  left  off,  as  unconcerned  as  if  nothing  had  happened. 

The  Indians  never  forget  nor  forgive  an  injury,  till  satis 
faction  be  given,  be  it  national  or  personal  :  but  it  becomes 
the  business  of  their  whole  lives  ;  and  even  after  that,  the 
revenge  is  entailed  upon  their  posterity,  till  full  reparation 
be  made. 

§  45.  The  titles  of  honor  that  I  have  observed  among 
them  peculiar  to  themselves,  are  only  Cockarouse  and  We- 
rowance,  besides  that  of  the  king  and  queen  ;  but  of  late 
they  have  borrowed  some  titles, from  us,  which  they  bestow 
among  themselves.  A  Cockarouse  is  one  that  has  the  honor 
to  be  of  the  king  or  queen's  council,,  with  relation  to  the 
affairs  of  the  government,  and  has  a  great  share  in  the  ad 
ministration.  A  Werowance  is  a  military  officer,  who  of 
course  takes  upon  him  the  command  of  all  parties,  either  of 
hunting,  traveling,  warring,  or  the  like,  and  the  word  signi 
fies  a  war-captain. 

The  priests  and  conjurers  are  also  of  great  authority,  the 
people  having  recourse  to  them  for  counsel  and  direction 
upon  all  occasions  ;  by  which  means,  and  by  help  of  the 
first  fruits  and  frequent  offerings,  they  riot  in  the  fat  of  the 
land,  and  grow  rich  upon  the  spoils  of  their  ignorant  coun 
trymen. 

They  have  also  people  of  a  rank  inferior  to  the  com 
mons,  a  sort  of  servants  among  them.  These  are  called 
black  boys,  and  are  attendant  upon  the  gentry,  to  do  their 
servile  offices,  which,  in  their  state  of  nature,  are  not  many. 
For  they  live  barely  up  to  the  present  relief  of  their  neces 
sities,  and  make  all  things  easy  and  comfortable  to  them 
selves,  by  the  indulgence  of  a  kind  climate,  without  toiling 
and  perplexing  their  minds  for  riches,  which  other  people 
often  trouble  themselves  to  provide  for  uncertain  and  un 
grateful  heirs.  In  short,  they  seem  as  possessing  nothing, 
and  yet  enjoying  all  things. 


CHAPTER 


OF   THE    TREASURE    OR    RICHES    OF    THE    INDIANS. 

§  46.  The  Indians  had  nothing  which  they  reckoned 
riches,  before  the  English  went  among  them,  except  peak, 
roenoke,  and  such  like  trifles  made  out  of  the  conch  shell. 
These  past  with  them  instead  of  gold  and  silver,  and  served 
them  both  for  money  and  ornament.  It  was  the  English 
alone  that  taught  them  first  to  put  a  value  on  their  skins 
and  furs,  and  to  make  a  trade  of  them. 

Peak  is  of  two  sorts,  or  rather  of  two  colors,  for  both 
are  made  of  one  shell,  though  of  different  parts  ;  one  is  a 
dark  purple  cylinder,  and  the  other  a  white  ;  they  are  both 
made  in  size  and  figure  alike,  and  commonly  much  resem 
bling  the  English  bugles,  but  not  so  transparent  nor  so 
brittle.  They  are  wrought  as  smooth  as  glass,  being  one 
third  of  an  inch  long,  and  about  a  quarter  diameter,  strung 
by  a  hole  drilled  through  the  centre.  The  dark  color  is  the 
dearest,  and  distinguished  by  the  name  of  wampom  peak. 
The  Englishmen  that  are  called  Indian  traders,  value  the 
wampom  peak  at  eighteen  pence  per  yard,  and  the  white 
peak  at  nine  pence.  The  Indians  also  make  pipes  of  this, 
two  or  three  inches  long,  and  thicker  than  ordinary,  which 
are  much  more  valuable.  They  also  make  runtees  of  the 
small  shell,  and  grind  them  as  smooth  as  peak.  These  are 
either  large  like  an  oval  bead,  and  drilled  the  length  of  the 
oval,  or  else  they  are  circular  and  flat,  almost  an  inch  over, 
and  one  third  of  an  inch  thick,  and  drilled  edgeways.  Of 
this  shell  they  also  make  round  tablets  of  about  four  inches 
diameter,  which  they  polish  as  smooth  as  the  other,  and 
sometimes  they  etch  or  grave  thereon  circles,  stars,  a  half 


TREASURE    OR   RICHES    OF    THE     INDIANS.  181 

moon,  or  any  other  figure  suitable  to  their  fancy.  These 
they  wear  instead  of  medals  before  or  behind  their  neck, 
and  use  the  peak,  runtees  and  pipes  for  coronets,  bracelets, 
belts,  or  long  strings  hanging  down  before  the  breast,  or 
else  they  lace  their  garments  with  them,  and  adorn  their 
tomahawks,  and  every  other  thing  that  they  value. 

They  have  also  another  sort  which  is  as  current  among 
them,  but  of  far  less  value  ;  and  this  is  made  of  the  cockle 
shell,  broken  into  small  bits  with  rough  edges,  drilled 
through  in  the  same  manner  as  beads,  and  this  they  call 
roenoke,  and  use  it  as  the  peak. 

These  sorts  of  money  have  their  rates  set  upon  them  as 
unalterable,  and  current  as  the  values  of  our  money  are. 

The  Indians  have  likewise  some  pearl  amongst  them,  and 
formerly  had  many  more,  but  where  they  got  them  is  un 
certain,  except  they  found  them  in  the  oyster  banks,  which 
are  frequent  in  this  country. 


CHAPTER    XIII. 


OP   THE    HANDICRAFTS    OF   THE    INDIANS. 

§  47.  Before  I  finish  my  account  of  the  Indians,  it  will 
not  be  amiss  to  inform  you,  that  when  the  English  went 
first  among  them,  they  had  no  sort  of  iron  or  sleel  instru 
ments  ;  but  their  knives  were  either  sharpened  reeds  or 
shells,  and  their  axes  sharp  stones,  bound  to  the  end  of  a 
stick,  and  glued  in  with  turpentine.  By  the  help  of  these, 
they  made  their  bows  of  the  locust  tree,  an  excessive  hard 
wood  when  it  is  dry,  but  much  more  easily  cut  when  it 
is  green,  of  which  they  always  took  the  advantage.  They 
made  their  arrows  of  reeds  or  small  wands,  which  needed 
no  other  cutting,  but  in  the  length,  being  otherwise  ready 
for  notching,  feathering  and  heading.  They  fledged  their 
arrows  with  turkey  feathers,  which  they  fastened  with  glue 
made  of  the  velvet  horns  of  a  deer ;  but  it  has  not  that 
quality  it's  said  to  have,  of  holding  against  all  weathers ; 
they  arm'd  the  heads  with  a  white  transparent  stone,  like 
that  of  Mexico  mentioned  by  Peter  Martyr,  of  which  they 
have  many  rocks ;  they  also  headed  them  with  the  spurs 
of  the  wild  turkey  cock. 

They  rubbed  fire  out  of  particular  sorts  of  wood  (as  the 
ancients  did  out  of  the  ivy  and  bays)  by  turning  the  end 
of  a  hard  piece  upon  the  side  of  a  piece  that  is  soft  and 
dry,  like  a  spindle  on  its  inke,  by  which  it  heats,  and  at 
length  burns  ;  to  this  they  put  sometimes  also  rotten  wood 
and  dry  leaves,  to  hasten  the  work. 

§48.  Under  the  disadvantage  of  such  tools  they  made  a 
shift  to  fell  vast  great  trees,  and  clear  the  land  of  wood 
in  places  where  they  had  occasion. 

They   bring    down   a   great    tree   by    making   a  small   fire 


HANDICRAFTS    OF    THE    INDIANS.  183 

round  the  root,  and  keeping  the  flame  from  running  up 
ward,  until  they  burn  away  so  much  of  the  basis,  that  the 
least  puff  of  wind  throws  it  down.  When  it  is  prostrate, 
they  burn  it  off  (o  what  length  they  would  have  it,  and 
with  their  stone  tomahawks  break  off  all  the  bark,  which 
when  the  sap  runs  will  easily  strip,  and  at  other  times 
also,  if  it  be  well  wanned  with  fire.  When  it  is  brought  to 
a  due  length,  they  raise  it  upon  a  bed  to  a  convenient 
height  for  their  working,  and  then  begin  by  gentle  fires 
to  hollow  it,  and  with  scrapers  rake  the  trunk,  and  turn 
away  the  fire  from  one  place  to  another,  till  they  have 
deepened  the  belly  of  it  to  their  desire.  Thus  also  they 
shape  the  ends,  till  they  have  made  it  a  fit  vessel  for 
crossing  the  water,  and  this  they  call  a  canoe,  one  of 
which  I  have  seen  thirty  feet  long. 

When  they  wanted  any  land  to  be  cleared  of  the  woods, 
they  chopped  a  notch  round  the  trees  quite  through  the 
bark  with  their  stone  hatchets  or  tomahawks,  and  that 
deadened  the  trees,  so  that  they  sprouted  no  more,  but  in 
a  few  years  fell  down.  However,  the  ground  was  plant- 
able,  and  would  produce  immediately  upon  the  withering  of 
the  trees.  But  now  for  all  these  uses  they  employ  axes 
and  little  hatchets,  which  they  buy  of  the  English.  The 
occasions  aforementioned,  and  the  building  of  their  cabins, 
are  still  the  greatest  use  they  have  for  these  utensils,  be 
cause  they  trouble  not  themselves  with  any  other  sort  of 
handicraft,  to  which  such  tools  are  necessary.  Their  house 
hold  utensils  are  baskets  made  of  silk  grass,  gourds,  which 
grow  to  the  shapes  they  desire  them,  and  earthen  pots  to 
boil  victuals  in,  which  they  make  of  clay. 

TAB.  14.  Shows  their  manner  of  felling  great  trees  (be 
fore  they  had  iron  instruments)  by  firing  the  root,  and 
bringing  them  to  fit  lengths,  and  shaping  them  for  use  by 
fire  alone. 

The  Indians  of  Virginia  are  almost  wasted,  but  such 
towns  or  people  as  retain  their  names  and  live  in  bodies 
are  hereunder  set.  down,  all  which  together  can't  raise  five 


184  HANDICRAFTS    OF    THE    INDIANS. 

hundred  fighting  men.  They  live  poorly,  and  much  in 
fear  of  the  neighboring  Indians.  Each  town,  by  the  arti 
cles  of  peace,  1677,  pays  three  Indian  arrows  for  their 
land,  and  twenty  beaver  skins  for  protection  every  year. 

In   Accornac    are   eight   towns,   viz : 

Metomkin  is  much  decreased  of  late  by  the  small  pox, 
that  was  carried  thither. 

Gingoteague.  The  few  remains  of  this  town  are  joined 
with  a  nation  of  the  Maryland  Indians. 

Kiequotank   is   reduced    to   very   few    men. 

Matchopungo   has   a   small   number   yet   living. 

Occahanock    has   a   small   number  yet   living. 

Pungoteague.     Governed  by   a  queen,  but  a  small  nation. 

Onancock  has   but   four   or  five   families. 

Chiconessex   has   very   few,   who    just   keep   the   name. 

Nanduye.  A  seat  of  the  empress.  Not  above  twenty  fa 
milies,  but  she  hath  all  the  nations  of  this  shore  under 
tribute. 

In  Northampton,  Gangascoe5  which  is  almost  as  numerous 
as  all  the  foregoing  nations  put  together. 

In   Prince  George   Wyanoke   is   extinct. 

In   Charles    City  Appomattox  is  extinct. 

In  Surry.  Nottawayes,  which  are  about  a  hundred  bow 
men,  of  late  a  thriving  and  increasing  people. 

By  Nansemond.  Meherrin  has  about  thirty  bowmen, 
who  keep  at  a  stand. 

Nansemond.  About  thirty  bowmen.  They  have  in 
creased  much  of  late. 

In  King  William's  county  two.  Pamunky  has  about 
forty  bowmen,  who  decrease. 

Chickahominy,  which  had  about  sixteen  bowmen,  but 
lately  increased. 

In  Essex.     Rappahannock    extinct. 

In   Richmond.     Port  Tobacco  extinct. 

In  Northumberland.  Wiccomocca  has  but  few  men 
living,  which  yet  keep  up  their  kingdom  and  retain  their 
fashion,  yet  live  by  themselves,  separate  from  all  other 
Indians,  and  from  the  English. 


HANDICRAFTS    OF    THE    INDIANS.  185 

§  49.  Thus  I  have  given  a  succinct  account  of  the  In 
dians  ;  happy,  I  think,  in  their  simple  state  of  nature, 
and  in  their  enjoyment  of  plenty,  without  the  curse  of 
labor.  They  have  on  several  accounts  reason  to  lament 
the  arrival  of  the  Europeans,  by  whose  means  they  seem 
to  have  lost  their  felicity  as  well  as  their  innocence. 
The  English  have  taken  away  great  part  of  their  country, 
and  consequently  made  everything  less  plentiful  amongst 
them.  They  have  introduced  drunkenness  and  luxury 
amongst  them,  which  have  multiplied  their  wants,  and 
put  them  upon  desiring  a  thousand  things  they  never 
dreamt  of  before.  I  have  been  the  more  concise  in  my 
account  of  this  harmless  people,  because  I  have  inserted 
several  figures,  which  1  hope  have  both  supplied  the  de 
fect  of  words,  and  rendered  the  descriptions  more  clear. 
I  shall,  in  the  next  place,  proceed  to  treat  of  Virginia  as 
it  is  now  improved,  (I  should  rather  say  altered,)  by  the 
English,  and  of  its  present  constitution  and  settlement. 


24 


OF  THE 

PRESENT  STATE  OF  VIRGINIA. 


AS   THIS   BOOK   MUST   CONSIST   OP    TWO   PARTS,   FIRST,   THE    POLITY 

OF   THE   GOVERNMENT;    SECONDLY,   THE   HUSBANDRY  AND 

IMPROVEMENTS     OF     THE     COUNTRY;      I     SHALL 

HANDLE    THEM   SEPARATELY. 


BOOK  IV. 
PART  i: 

OP  THE  CIVIL  POLITY  AND  GOVERNMENT  OF  VIRGINIA. 

CHAPTER  I. 


OP   THE    CONSTITUTION    OP    GOVERNMENT    IN    VIRGINIA. 

§1.  I  have  already  hinted,  that  the  first  settlement  of 
this  country  was  under  the  direction  of  a  company  of  mer 
chants  incorporated. 

That  the  first  constitution  of  government  appointed  by 
them  was  a  president  and  council,  which  council  was  nom 
inated  by  the  corporation  or  company  in  London,  and  the 
president  annually  chosen  by  the  people  in  Virginia. 

That  in  the  year  1610,  this  constitution  was  altered,  and 
the  company  obtained  a  new  grant  of  his  majesty  ;  whereby 


CONSTITUTION    OF    GOVERNMENT    IN    VIRGINIA.  187 

they   themselves   had   the   nomination  of   the   governor,   who 
was  obliged  to  act  only  by  advice  in  council. 

That  in  the  year  1620,  an  assembly  of  burgesses  was  first 
called,  from  all  the  inhabited  parts  of  the  country,  who  sat 
in  consultation  with  the  governor  and  council,  for  settling 
the  public  affairs  of  the  plantation. 

That  when  the  company  was  dissolved,  the  king  con 
tinued  the  same  method  of  government,  by  a  governor, 
council  and  burgesses  ;  which  three  being  united  were  called 
the  general  assembly. 

That  this  general  assembly  debated  all  the  weighty  affairs 
of  the  colony,  and  enacted  laws  for  the  better  government 
of  the  people  ;  and  the  governor  and  council  were  to  put 
them  in  execution. 

That  the  governor  and  council  were  appointed  by  the 
king,  and  the  assembly  chosen  by  the  people. 

Afterwards  the  governor  had  a  more  extensive  power  put 
into  his  hands,  so  that  his  assent  in  all  affairs  become  abso 
lutely  necessary  ;  yet  was  he  still  bound  to  act  by  advice  of 
council  in  many  things. 

Until  the  rebellion  1676,  the  governor  had  no  power  to 
suspend  the  counsellors,  nor  to  remove  any  of  them  from 
the  council  board. 

Then  a  power  was  given  him  of  suspending  them,  but 
with  proviso,  that  he  gave  substantial  reasons  for  so  doing  ; 
and  was  answerable  to  his  majesty  for  the  truth  of  the  ac 
cusation. 

Then  also  this  model  of  government  by  a  governor, 
council  and  assembly,  was  confirmed  to  them  with  a  far 
ther  clause,  that  if  the  governor  should  happen  to  die,  or 
be  removed,  and  no  other  person  in  the  country  nomina 
ted  by  the  crown  to  supply  his  place,  then  the  president, 
or  eldest  councillor,  with  the  assistance  of  any  five  of  the 
council,  should  take  upon  him  the  administration  of  the 
government,  all  which  are  authorized  by  commission  and 
instructions  to  the  governor. 

Before   the  year  1680,   the  council  sat  in  the  same  house 


188 


CONSTITUTION    OP    GOVERNMENT    IN    VIRGINIA. 


wi(h  the  burgesses  of  assembly,  much  resembling  the  mo 
del  of  the  Scotch  parliament ;  and  the  Lord  Colepepper, 
taking  advantage  of  some  disputes  among  them,  procured 
the  council  to  sit  apart  from  the  assembly  ;  and  so  they 
became  two  distinct  houses,  in  imitation  of  the  two  houses 
of  parliament  in  England,  the  lords  and  commons ;  and 
so  is  the  constitution  at  this  day. 

§  2.  The  governor  is  appointed  by  the  crown  ;  his  com 
mission  is  under  seal,  and  runs  during  pleasure. 

He  represents  the  king's  person  there  in  all  things,  and 
is  subject  to  his  instructions. 

His  assent  is  necessary  to  the  laws,  agreed  upon  by  the 
council  and  assembly  ;  without  it  no  law  can  be  made. 

His   test   to  all   laws   so   assented   to   is   also   requisite. 

He  calls  assemblies  by  advice  of  council,  but  prorogues 
or  dissolves  them  without. 

He  calls  and  presides  in  all  councils  of  State,  and  hath 
his  negative  there  also. 

He  appoints  commissioners  of  county  courts  for  the  ad 
ministration  of  justice,  by  consent  of  council. 

He  grants  commissions  to  all  officers  of  the  militia,  under 
the  degree  of  a  lieutenant  general,  (which  title  he  bears 
himself,)  as  he  thinks  fit. 

He  orders  and  disposes  the  militia  for  the  defence  of  the 
country. 

He  tests  proclamations. 

He  disposes  of  the  unpatented  land  according  to  the  char 
ter,  the  laws  of  that  country,  and  his  instructions  ;  for  which 
end,  and  for  other  public  occasions,  the  seal  of  the  colony 
is  committed  to  his  keeping. 

All  issues  of  the  public  revenue  must  bear  his  test. 

And  by  virtue  of  a  commission  from  the  admiralty  he  is 
made  vice-admiral. 

The  governor's  salary,  till  within  these  forty-five  years 
last  past,  was  no  more  than  a  thousand  pounds  a  year  ;  be 
sides  which,  he  had  about  five  hundred  more  in  perquisites. 
Indeed,  the  general  assembly,  by  a  public  act,  made  an 


CONSTITUTION    OP    GOVERNMENT    IN    VIRGINIA.  189 

addition  of  two  hundred  pounds  a  year  (o  Sir  William 
Berkeley  in  particular,  out  of  the  great  respect  and  esteem 
they  bore  to  that  gentleman,  who  had  been  a  long  time  a 
good  and  just  governor;  and  who  had  laid  out  the  greatest 
part  of  his  revenue  in  experiments,  for  the  advantage  and 
improvement  of  the  country  ;  and  who  had,  besides,  suf 
fered  extremely  in  the  time  of  the  usurpation.  But  this 
addition  was  to  determine  with  his  government. 

Sir  William  Berkeley,  after  the  short  interval  of  JefTery's 
and  Chichley's  being  deputy-governors,  was  succeeded  by 
the  Lord  Colepepper,  who,  under  pretence  of  his  being  a 
peer  of  England,  obtained  of  King  Charles  II.  a  salary 
of  two  thousand  pounds,  besides  one  hundred  and  sixty 
pounds  a  year  for  house  rent,  because  there  was  no  house 
appointed  by  the  country  for  the  governor's  reception.  This 
salary  has  continued  ever  since,  to  the  succeeding  governors. 

If  the  administration  of  the  government  happen  to  fall 
into  the  hands  of  the  president  and  council,  there  is  then 
usually  allowed  to  the  president,  the  addition  of  five  hun 
dred  pounds  a  year  only  ;  and  to  the  council,  no  more  than 
what  is  given  them  at  other  times. 

§  3.  The  gentlemen  of  the  council  are  appointed  by  letter 
or  instruction  from  his  majesty,  which  says  no  more,  but 
that  they  be  sworn  of  the  council. 

The  number  of  the  counsellors  when  complete,  is  twelve  j 
and  if  at  anytime,  by  death  or  removal,  there  happen  to 
be  fewer  than  nine  residing  in  the  country,  then  the  gov 
ernor  has  power  to  appoint  and  swear  into  the  council,  such 
of  the  gentlemen  of  the  country  as  he  shall  think  fit  to 
make  up  that  number,  without  expecting  any  direction  from 
England. 

The  business  of  the  council,  is  to  advise  and  assist  the 
governor  in  all  important  matters  of  government,  which  he 
shall  consult  them  in. 

In  the  general  assembly,  the  council  make  the  upper 
house,  and  claim  an  entire  negative  voice  to  all  laws,  as 
the  house  of  lords  in  England. 


i90  CONSTITUTION    OF    GOVERNMENT    IN    VIRGINIA. 

The  salary  of  the  council  is  in  all  but  three  hundred 
and  fifty  pounds  per  annum,  to  be  proportioned  among 
them  according  to  their  attendance  on  general  courts  and 
assemblies. 

§  4.  The  burgesses  of  assembly  are  elected,  and  returned 
from  all  parts  of  the  country,  viz  :  from  each  county,  two  ; 
and  from  James  City,  one  ;  and  from  the  college,  one  ; 
which  make  up  in  all  sixty  burgesses'.  They  are  convened 
by  writs  issued  from  the  secretary's  office,  under  the  seal 
of  the  colony,  and  the  test  of  the  governor.  These  are 
directed  to  the  sheriff  of  each  county  respectively,  and 
ought  to  bear  date  at  least  forty  days  before  the  return. 
The  freeholders  are  the  only  electors,  and  wherever  they 
have  a  freehold  (if  they  be  not  women,  or  under  age,  or 
aliens)  they  have  a  vote  in  the  election.  The  method  of 
summoning  the  freeholders,  is  by  publication  of  the  writ, 
together  with  the  day  appointed  by  the  sheriff  for  election, 
at  every  church  and  chapel  in  the  county,  two  several  Sun 
days  successively.  The  election  is  concluded  by  plurality 
of  voices  j  and  if  either  party  be  dissatisfied,  or  thinks  he 
has  not  fair  treatment,  he  ma}r  demand  a  copy  of  the  poll, 
and  upon  application  to  the  house  of  burgesses,  shall  have 
his  complaint  inquired  into.  But  to  prevent  undue  elec 
tions,  many  acts  have  been  there  made,  agreeably  to  some 
lately  enacted  in  England. 

The  first  business  of  a  convention,  by  the  governor's 
direction,  is  to  make  choice  of  a  speaker,  and  to  present 
him  in  full  house  to  the  governor.  Upon  this  occasion, 
the  speaker,  in  the  name  of  the  house,  petitions  the  gover 
nor  to  confirm  the  usual  liberties  and  privileges  of  assembly, 
namely,  access  to  his  person  whenever  they  shall  have 
occasion  ;  a  freedom  of  speech  and  debate  in  the  house, 
without  being  farther  accountable  ;  a  protection  of  their  per 
sons,  and  their  servants  from  arrest,  &c.  And  these  being 
granted  by  the  governor,  and  the  cause  of  their  meeting 
declared  by  him,  they  proceed  to  do  business,  choosing 
committees,  and  in  other  things  imitating  as  near  as  they 


CONSTITUTION    OF    GOVERNMENT    IN    VIRGINIA.  191 

can  the  method  of  the  honorable  house  of  commons  in 
England. 

The  aws  having  duly  passed  the  house  of  burgesses,  the 
council,  and  the  governor's  assent,  they  are  transmitted  to 
the  king  by  the  next  shipping  for  his  approbation,  his  ma 
jesty  having  another  negative  voice.  But  they  immediately 
become  laws,  and  are  in  force  upon  the  governor's  first 
passing  them,  and  so  remain  if  his  majesty  don't  actually 
repeal  them,  although  he  be  not  pleased  to  declare  his 
royal  assent,  one  way  or  other. 

There  are  no  appointed  times  for  their  convention,  but 
they  are  called  together  whenever  the  exigencies  of  the 
country hnake  it  necessary,  or  his  majesty  is  pleased  to  order 
anything  to  be  proposed  to  them. 


CHAPTER   II. 


OF   THE    SUBDIVISIONS    OP    VIRGINIA. 

§  5.  The  country  is  divided  into  twenty-nine  counties, 
arid  the  counties,  as  they  are  in  bigness,  into  fewer  or  more 
parishes,  as  they  are  filled  with  inhabitants. 

The  method  of  bounding  the  counties  is  at  this  time 
with  respect  to  the  convenience  of  having  each  county  lim 
ited  to  one  single  river,  for  its  trade  and  shipping,  so  that 
any  one  whose  concerns  are  altogether  in  one  county,  may 
not  be  obliged  to  seek  his  freight  and  shipping  in  more 
than  one  river.  Whereas  at  first,  they  were  bounded  with 
respect  to  the  circuit,  and  the  propinquity  of  the  extremes 
to  one  common  centre,  by  which  means  one  county  reached 
then  quite  across  a  neck  of  land  from  river  to  river.  But 
this  way  of  bounding  the  counties  being  found  more  incon 
venient  than  the  other,  it  was  changed  by  a  law  into  what 
it  is  now. 

Besides  this  division  into  counties  and  parishes,  there  are 
two  other  subdivisions,  which  are  subject  to  the  rules  and 
alterations  made  by  the  county  courts,  namely  :  into  pre 
cincts  or  burroughs,  for  the  limits  of  constables  ;  and  into 
precincts  or  walks,  for  the  surveyors  of  highways. 

§  6.  There  is  another  division  of  the  country  into  necks 
of  land,  which  are  the  boundaries  of  the  escheators,  viz  : 

1.  The  northern  neck  between  Potomac  and  Rappahan- 
nock  rivers.  This  is  the  proprietary  in  the  Lord  Colepep- 
per's  family. 


SUBDIVISIONS    OF    VIRGINIA*  193 

2.  The    neck    between   Rappahannock    and    York    rivers, 
within  which   Pamunky   neck   is  included. 

3.  The   neck   between   York   and   James   rivers. 

4.  The  lands  on  the   south   side  of    James  river. 

5.  The   land  on  the  eastern  shore  j   in  all,  five  divisions. 
Each   of    which    has  its  particular   escheat-master. 

In  the  northern  neck  are  contained  six  counties.  1.  Lan 
caster,  viz  :  in  which  are  two  parishes,  viz  :  Christ  Church , 
and  Saint  Mary  White  Chapel.  2.  Northumberland,  two 
parishes,  viz  :  Fairfield  and  Boutracy,  and  Wiccocomoco . 
3.  Westmoreland,  two  parishes,  viz  :  Copely  and  Washing 
ton.  4.  Stafford,  two  parishes,  viz  :  Saint  Paul  and  Over- 
worton.  5.  Richmond,  one  parish,  viz  :  North  Farnham, 
and  part  of  another,  viz :  Sittenburn.  6.  King  George 
county,  one  parish,  viz  :  Hanover,  the  other  part  of  Sit 
tenburn. 

In  the  neck  between  Rappahannock  and  York  rivers,  are 
contained  six  other  counties,  viz  : 

1 .  Gloucester,  in  which  are  four  parishes,  viz  :  Pesso, 
Abingdon,  Ware  and  Kingston.  2.  Middlesex,  only  one 
parish,  viz  :  Christ  Church.  3.  King  and  Queen,  two 
parishes,  viz:  Stratton  Major,  Saint  Stephen.  4.  King 
William,  two  parishes,  viz  :  Saint  John  and  Saint  Mar 
garet.  5.  Essex,  three  parishes,  viz  :  South  Farnham, 
Saint  Anne,  Saint  Mary.  6.  Spottsylvania,  one  parish, 
viz  :  Saint  George. 

In  the  neck  between  York  and  James  river,  there  are 
seven  counties  and  part  of  an  eighth.  The  seven  entire 
counties  are:  1.  Elizabeth  City,  in  which  is  only  one 
parish,  named  also  Elizabeth  City  parish.  2.  The  War 
wick,  in  which  are  two  parishes,  viz  :  Denby,  Mulberry 
Island.  3.  York,  in  which  are  two  parishes,  viz:  Charles 
and  Yorkhampton,  and  part  of  a  third  called  Braton.  4. 
James  City,  in  which  are  three  parishes  and  part  of  two 
others,  viz :  James  City,  part  of  Wilmington,  Merchants' 
Hundred,  and  the  other  half  of  Braton.  5.  New  Kent, 
two  parishes,  viz  :  Blisland,  and  Saint  Peter.  6.  Charles 
25 


194  SUBDIVISIONS    OF    VIRGINIA. 

City,  two  parishes,  viz  :  Westover,  and  part  of  Wilmington, 
7.  Hanover,  one  parish,  viz  :  Saint  Paul.  And  8.  Part 
of  Henrico  county,  on  the  north  side  of  James  river,  by 
which  river  the  parishes  are  also  divided,  there  being  two 
parishes  in  the  whole  county,  viz  :  Henrico  and  Saint 
James,  and  part  of  a  third  called  Bristol. 

On  the  south  side  James  river  are  seven  counties,  and 
the  other  part  of  Henrico.  The  seven  counties,  beginning 
at  the  bay  as  I  have  done  in  all  the  rest  are,  viz  :  1. 
Princess  Anne,  in  which  is  but  one  parish,  viz  :  Lynhaven. 
2.  Norfolk,  also  one  parish,  called  Elizabeth  River.  3. 
Nansemond,  in  which  are  three  parishes,  viz  :  Lower  Parish, 
Upper  Parish,  Chickaluck.  4.  Isle  of  Wight,  in  which 
are  two  parishes,  viz  :  Warwick  Squeeke  Bay,  and  New 
port.  5.  Surry,  two  parishes,  viz  :  Lyon's  Creek,  South- 
wark.  6.  Prince  George,  in  which  is  one  parish,  viz ; 
Martin  Brandon,  and  the  other  part  of  Bristol  Parish,  in 
Henrico.  7.  Brunswick,  a  new  county  constituted  towards 
the  southern  pass  of  the  mountains,  on  purpose  that  by 
extraordinary  encouragements  the  settlements  may  send  up 
that  way  first,  as  is  given  also  to  Spottsylvania  county  for 
the  northern  pass.  It  is  made  one  parish,  by  the  name  of 
Saint  Andrew. 

On  the  eastern  shore,  that  is,  on  the  east  side  the  great 
bay  of  Chesapeake,  the  place  where  Sir  William  Berkeley 
retired  to  in  the  rebellion,  without  withdrawing  from  his 
government,  (as  Mr.  Oldmixon  declares  he  did)  are  two 
counties.  1.  Northampton,  having  one  parish,  named  Hun 
gers.  2.  Accomac,  having  one  parish,  named  also  Acco- 
mac. 

In  all  there  are  at  preient  twenty-nine  counties,  and 
fifty-four  parishes. 

§  7.  There  is  yet  another  division  of  the  country  into 
districts,  according  to  the  rivers,  with  respect  to  the  shipping 
and  navigation.  These  are  the  bounds  appointed  for  the 
naval  officers,  and  collectors  of  the  public  duties,  and  are 
as  follows : 


SUBDIVISIONS    OP    VIRGINIA.  195 

1.  The    upper    parts    of    James    river,   from    Hog    island 
upwards. 

2.  The    lower    parts    of    James    river,   from    Hog    island 
downwards  to  the  capes,  and  round  Point  Comfort  to  Back 
river. 

3.  York,     Poquoson,     Mobjack     bay,     and      Piankatank 
rivers. 

4.  Rappahannock  river. 

5.  Potomac   river. 

6.  Pocomoke,  and  the  other  parts  on   the   eastern,   made 
formerly  two  districts,  but  they  are  now  united  into  one. 


CHAPTER    III. 


OF    THE    PUBLIC    OFFICES    OF    GOVERNMENT. 

§  8.  Besides  the  governor  and  council  aforementioned, 
there  are  three  other  general  officers  in  that  colony  bearing 
his  majesty's  immediate  commission,  viz  :  the  auditor  of 
the  revenue,  the  receiver  general  of  it,  and  the  secretary  of 
state. 

The  auditor's  business  is  to  audit  the  accounts  of  the 
public  money  of  the  government,  and  duly  to  transmit  the 
state  of  them  to  England.  Such  as  the  quitrents,  the 
money  arising  by  the  two  shillings  per  hogshead,  fort  duties, 
the  fines  and  forfeitures,  and  the  profit  of  escheats  and 
rights  of  land.  His  salary  is  six  per  cent  of  all  the  public 
money.  The  present  auditor  is  John  Grimes,  esq. 

The  receiver  general  is  to  sell  the  public  tobacco,  collect 
and  receive  the  money,  make  the  account  thereof,  and  pay 
it  out  again  by  the  king's  order.  His  salary  is  also  six  per 
cent.  The  present  receiver  general  is  James  Roscow,  esq. 

The  secretary's  business  is  to  keep  the  public  records  of 
the  country,  and  to  take  care  that  they  be  regularly  and 
fairly  made  up,  viz :  all  judgments  of  the  general  court, 
as  likewise  all  deeds,  and  other  writings  there  proved;  and 
farther,  to  issue  all  writs,  both  ministerial  and  judicial,  re 
lating  thereto.  To  make  out  and  record  all  patents  for 
land,  and  to  take  the  return  of  all  inquests  of  escheats. 

In  his  office  is  kept  a  register  of  all  commissions  of 
administration,  and  probates  of  wills  granted  throughout 
the  colony ;  as  also  of  all  births,  burials,  marriages,  and 
persons  that  go  cut  of  the  country,  of  all  houses  of  public 
entertainment,  and  of  all  public  officers  in  the  country,  and 


PUBLIC    OFFICES    OF    GOVERNMENT.  197 

of    many   other   things   proper   to   be  kept   in   so   general  an 
office. 

From   this  office  are  likewise  issued  all  writs  for  choosing 
of  burgesses,  and  in   it  are  filed  authentic  copies  of  all  proc- ' 
lamations. 

The   present   secretar}'   is   Thomas   Picket,   esq. 

The  secretary's  income  arises  from  fees  for  all  business 
done  in  his  office,  which  come  (communibus  annis)  to  about 
seventy  thousand  pounds  tobacco  per  annum,  out  of  which 
he  pays  twelve  thousand  five  hundred,  and  cask,  to  the 
clerks.  His  other  perquisites  proceed  out  of  the  acknow 
ledgments  paid  him  annually  by  the  county  clerks,  and  are 
besides  about  forty  thousand  pounds  of  tobacco  and  cask. 

§  9.  There  are  two  other  general  officers  in  the  country 
who  do  not  receive  their  commission  and  authority  imme 
diately  from  the  crown,  and  those  are:  1.  The  ecclesiasti 
cal  commissary,  viz  :  the  Rev.  James  Blair,  authorized  by 
the  right  reverend  father  in  God,  the  lord  bishop  of  London, 
ordinary  of  all  the  plantations.  2.  The  country's  treasurer, 
viz  :  the  Hon.  Petes  Beverley,  esq.,  authorized  by  the  gen 
eral  assembly. 

The  commissary's  business  is  to  make  visitations  of 
churches  and  have  the  inspection  of  the  clergy.  He  is 
allowed  one  hundred  pounds  per  annum  out  of  the  quitrents. 

The  treasurer's  business  is  to  receive  the  money  from  the 
several  collectors,  and  to  make  up  the  accounts  of  the 
duties  raised  by  some  late  acts  of  assembly  for  extraordi 
nary  occasions.  His  salary  is  six  per  cent,  of  all  money 
passing  through  his  hands. 

These  are  all  the  general  officers  belonging  to  that  gov 
ernment,  except  the  court  of  admiralty,  which  has  no 
standing  officer.  The  present  judge  of  the  admiralty  is  John 
Clayton,  esq. 

§  10.  The  other  public  commission  officers  in  the  govern 
ment,  (except  those  of  the  militia,  for  whom  a  chapter  is 
reserved,)  are  escheators,  naval  officers,  collectors,  clerks  of 
courts,  sheriffs  of  counties,  surveyors  of  land,  and  coroners. 


198  PUBLIC    OFFICES    OF    GOVERNMENT. 

The  escheators  have  their  precincts  or  bounds,  according 
to  the  several  necks  of  land  ;  for  their  profits,  they  demand 
five  pound  for  each  inquest  taken,  being  paid  only  as  bu 
siness  happens. 

The  naval  officers  have  their  bounds  according  to  the  dis 
tricts  on  the  rivers,  and  so  have  the  collectors.  The  profits 
of  the  first  arise  from  large  fees,  upon  the  entering  and 
clearing  of  all  ships  and  vessels.  The  collectors  have  each 
a  salary  out  of  the  treasury  in  England  of  forty  pounds, 
sixty  pounds,  or  an  hundred  pounds,  according  to  their  seve 
ral  districts,  they  being  appointed  by  the  honorable  commis 
sioners  of  the  customs  in  England,  pursuant  to  the  statute 
made  in  the  twenty-fifth  year  of  King  Charles  the  second  ; 
and  have,  moreover,  salaries  of  twenty  per  cent,  on  all  the 
duties  they  collect,  by  virtue  of  the  same  statute,  and  also 
large  fees  for  every  entry  and  clearing. 

The  naval  officers'  other  profits,  are  ten  per  cent,  for  all 
moneys  by  them  received  ;  both  on  the  two  shillings  per 
hogshead,  port  duties,  skins  and  furs,  and  also  on  the  new 
imposts  on  servants  and  liquors  when  such  duty  is  in  being. 

The  clerks  of  courts,  sheriffs  and  surveyors,  are  limited 
according  to  the  several  counties.  The  clerks  of  courts 
receive  their  commissions  from  the  secretary  of  State  ;  the 
sheriffs  theirs  from  the  governor,  and  the  surveyors  of 
land  theirs  from  the  governors  of  the  college,  in  whom  the 
office  of  surveyor  general  is  vested  by  their  charter. 

The  clerks'  profits  proceed  from  stated  fees,  upon  all  law 
suits  and  business  in  their  respective  courts,  except  the 
clerk  of  the  general  court,  who  is  paid  a  salary  by  the 
secretary,  who  takes  the  fees  of  that  court  to  himself. 

The  sheriff's  profit  is  likewise  by  fees  on  all  business 
done  in  the  county  courts,  to  which  he  is  the  ministerial 
officer,  and  not  judge  of  the  county  court,  as  Mr.  Old- 
inixon  styles  him,  page  298 ;  but  the  best  of  his  income 
is  by  a  salary  of  all  public  tobacco,  which  is  constantly 
put  into  the  sheriff's  hands,  to  be  collected  and  put  into 
hundreds,  convenient  for  the  market.  He  has  likewise 


PUBLIC    OFFICES    OF    GOVERNMENT.  199 

several   other   advantages,  which  make   his  place   very  profit 
able. 

The  profits  of  the  surveyors  of  land  are  according  to  the 
trouble  they  take.  Their  fees  being  proportioned  to  the 
surveys  they  make. 

The  coroner  is  a  commissioner  officer  also,  but  his  profits 
aie  not  worth  naming,  though  he  has  large  fees  allowed 
him  when  he  does  any  business.  There  are  two  or  more 
of  them  appointed  in  each  parish,  as  occasion  requires ; 
but  in  the  vacancy  or  absence  of  any,  upon  an  exigency, 
the  next  justice  of  peace  does  the  business  and  receives 
the  fee,  which  is  one  hundred  and  thirty-three  pounds  of 
tobacco  for  an  inquest  on  a  dead  corpse,  any  other  busi 
ness  seldom  falling  in  his  way. 

§11.  There  are  other  ministerial  officers  that  have  no 
commission  ;  which  are,  surveyors  of  the  highways,  con 
stables  and  headboroughs.  These  are  appointed,  relieved 
and  altered  annually  by  the  county  courts,  as  they  see  oc 
casion  ;  and  such  bounds  are  given  them  as  those  courts 
think  most  convenient. 


CHAPTEK    IV. 


OF     THE     STANDING     REVENUES,     OR     PUBLIC     FUNDS     IN     VIR 
GINIA. 

§  12.  There  are  five  sorts  of  standing  public  revenues  in 
that  country,  viz:  1.  A  rent  reserved  by  the  ciown  upon 
all  the  lands  granted  by  patent.  2.  A  revenue  granted 
to  his  majesty  by  act  of  assembly,  for  the  support  and  main 
tenance  of  the  government.  3.  A  revenue  raised  by  the 
assembly,  and  kept  in  their  own  disposal,  for  extraordinary 
occasions.  4.  A  revenue  raised  by  the  assembly,  arid 
granted  to  the  college.  And  5.  A  revenue  raised  by  act 
of  parliament  in  England  upon  the  trade  there. 

§13.  1.  The  rent  reserved  upon  their  lands,  is  called 
his  majesty's  revenue  of  quit  rents,  and  is  two  shillings 
for  every  hundred  acres  of  land,  patented  by  any  person 
in  that  country,  and  two  pence  per  acre  for  all  lands  found 
to  escheat ;  this  is  paid  into  the  treasury  there  by  all,  ex 
cept  the  inhabitants  of  the  Northern  Neck,  who  pay  nothing 
to  the  king  ;  but  the  whole  quit  rent  of  that  neck  is  paid 
to  certain  proprietors  of  the  Lord  Colepepper's  family,  who 
have  the  possession  thereof  to  themselves,  upon  the  pre 
tensions  before  rehearsed  in  the  first  part  of  this  book. 

This  revenue  has  been  upwards  of  fifteen  hundred  pounds 
a  year,  since  tobacco  has  held  a  good  price.  It  is  lodged 
in  the  receiver  general's  hands,  to  be  disposed  of  by  his 
majesty.  This  money  is  left  in  bank  there,  to  be  made 
use  of  upon  any  sudden  and  dangerous  emergency,  except 
when  it  is  called  home  to  England  ;  and  for  want  of  such 
a  bank,  Sir  William  Berkeley  was  not  able  to  make  any 
stand  against  Bacon,  whom  otherwise  he  might  easily  have 


STANDING    REVENUES,    OR    PUBLIC     FUNDS.  201 

subdued,  and  consequently  have  prevented  above  one  hun 
dred  thousand  pounds  expense  to  the  crown  of  England, 
to  pacify  those  troubles. 

§  14.  2.  The  revenue  granted  10  his  majesty  by  act  of 
assembly,  for  the  support  and  maintenance  of  ihe  govern 
ment,  arises  first  out  of  a  duty  of  two  shillings  per  hogshead, 
which  is  paid  for  every  hogshead  of  tobacco  exported  out 
of  that  colony.  2.  By  a  rate  of  fifteen  pence  per  ton 
for  every  ship,  upon  each  return  of  her  voyage,  whether 
she  be  emply  or  full.  3.  By  a  duty  of  sixpence  per 
poll  for  every  passenger,  bound  or  free,  going  into  that 
country  to  remain.  4.  By  the  fines  atid  forfeitures  im 
posed  by  several  acts  of  assembly.  There  is  also  an 
addition,  by  wafts  and  strays  having  no  owner,  composition, 
of  two  pence  per  acre  for  escheat  land,  chattels  escheat, 
and  the  sale  of  land  instead  of  rights,  at  five  shillings  per 
right  ;  all  which  tire  paid  into  the  hands  of  the  receiver 
general,  and  disposed  of  by  the  governor  and  council, 
(with  liberty  for  the  assembly  to  inspect  the  accounts  when, 
they  meet,)  for  defraying  the  public  charges  of  the  gov 
ernment. 

The  revenue,  communibus  annis,  amounts  io  moie  than 
three  thousand  pounds  a  year. 

§15.  3.  The  revenue  arising  by  act  of  assembly,  and 
reserved  to  their  own  disposal,  is  of  t\vo  sorts,  viz  :  a  duty 
upon  liquors  imported  from  the  neighboring  plantations,  and 
a  duty  upon  all  slaves  and  servants  imported,  except  English. 

The  duty  on  liquors  used  to  be  4d.  per  gallon  on  all 
wines,  rum,  and  brandy  ;  and  Id.  per  gallon  on  beer,  cider 
and  other  liquors,  discounting  twenty  per  cent,  upon  the  in 
voice,  except  oats. 

The  duty  on  servants  and  slaves  used  to  be  twenty  shil 
lings  for  each  servant,  not  being  a  native  of  England  or 
Wales,  and  five  pounds  for  each  slave  or  negro. 

The  former  of    these  duties  amounts  communibus  annis, 
to   six   hundred   pounds   a    year,   and   the   latter   to   more   or 
less,  as  the   negro   ships   happen   to   arrive. 
26 


202      STANDING  REVENUES,  OR  PUBLIC  FUNDS. 

The  charge  of  building  and  adorning  the  governor's  house 
and  capitol,  was  defrayed  by  these  duties,  and  so  was  the 
erecting  of  the  public  prison. 

These  funds  are  gathered  into  the  hands  of  the  treasurer 
of  the  country,  and  are  disposed  of  only  by  order  of  as 
sembly. 

§  16.  4.  The  revenue  raised  by  the  assembly,  and 
granted  to  the  college,  is  a  duty  on  all  skins  and  furs 
exported.  This  fund  raises  about  an  hundred  pounds  a 
year,  and  is  paid  by  the  collectors,  to  the  college  treasurer. 

§  IT.  5  and  last.  The  fund  raised  by  act  of  parliament 
in  England  upon  the  trade  there,  is  a  duty  of  one  penny 
per  pound,  upon  all  tobacco  exported  to  the  plantations, 
and  not  carried  directly  to  England.  This  duty  was  laid 
by  Stat.  25,  Car.  2,  cap.  7,  and  granted  to  the  king  and 
his  successors  ;  and  by  their  gracious  majesties  King  Wil 
liam  and  Queen  Mary,  it  was  given  to  the  college.  This 
duty  does  not  raise,  both  in  Virginia  and  Maryland,  above 
two  hundred  pounds  a  year,  and  is  accounted  for  to  the 
college  treasurer. 


CHAPTER    V. 


OF    THE      LEVIES     FOR     PAYMENT     OF     THE      PUBLIC     COUNTV 
AND     PARISH     DEBTS. 

§  18.  They  have  but  two  ways  of  raising  money  publicly 
in  that  country,  viz  :  by  duties  upon  trade,  and  a  poll  tax, 
which  they  call  levies.  Of  the  duties  upon  trade,  I  have 
spoken  sufficiently  in  the  preceding  chapter.  I  come,  there 
fore,  now  to  speak  of  the  levies,  which  are  a  certain  rate 
or  proportion  of  tobacco  charged  upon  the  head  of  every 
tithable  person  in  the  country,  upon  all  alike,  without  dis 
tinction. 

They  call  all  negroes  above  sixteen  years  of  age  tithable, 
be  they  male  or  female,  and1  all  white  men  of  the  same 
age  ;  but  children  and  white  women  are  exempted  from  all 
manner  of  duties. 

That  a  true  account  of  all  these  tithable  persons  may  be 
had,  they  are  annually  listed  in  crop  time,  by  the  justices 
of  each  county  respectively  ;  and  the  masters  of  families  are 
obliged,  under  great  penalties,  then  to  deliver  to  those  justices 
a  true  list  of  all  the  tithable  persons  in  their  families. 

Their  levies  are  threefold,  viz  :  public,  county  and  parish 
levies. 

§  19.  Public  levies  are  such  as  are  proportioned  and  laid 
equally,  by  the  general  assembly,  upon  every  tithable  person 
throughout  the  whole  colony.  These  serve  to  defray  several 
expenses  appointed  by  law,  to  be  so  defrayed,  such  as  the 
executing  of  a  criminal  slave,  who  must  be  made  good  to 
his  owner.  The  taking  up  of  runaways,  and  the  paying  of 
the  militia,  when  they  happen  to  be  employed  upon  the 


204      LEVIES  FOR  PAYMENT  OF  PUBLIC  DEBTS. 

service.  Out  of  these  they  likewise  pay  the  several  officers 
of  the  assembly,  and  some  other  public  officers.  They 
further  defray  the  charge  of  the  writs,  for  the  meeting  of 
the  house  of  burgesses,  public  expresses,  and  such  like. 

The  authority  for  levying  this  rate  is  given  by  a  short 
act  of  assembly,  constantly  prepared  for  that  purpose. 

§  20.  The  county  levies  are  such  as  are  peculiar  to  each 
county,  and  laid  by  the  justices  upon  all  tithable  persons, 
for  defraying  the  charge  of  their  counties,  such  as  the 
building  and  repairing  their  court  houses,  prisons,  pillories, 
stocks,  (fee.,  and  the  payment  of  all  services,  rendered  to 
the  county  in  general. 

§  21.  The  parish  levies  are  laid  by  the  vestry,  for  the 
payment  of  all  charges  incident  to  the  several  parishes,  such 
as  the  building,  furnishing,  and  adorning  their  churches 
and  chapels,  buying  glebes  and  building  upon  them,  pay 
ing  their  ministers,  readers,  clerks,  and  sextons. 


CHAPTER    VI. 


OF     THE     COURTS     OF     LAW     IN    VIRGINIA. 

§  22.  I  have  already,  in  the  chronology  of  the  govern 
ment,  hinted  what  the  constitution  of  their  courts  was  in 
old  time,  and  that  appeals  lay  from  the  general  court  to 
the  assembly  ;  that  the  general  court,  from  the  beginning, 
took  cognizance  of  all  causes  whatsoever,  both  ecclesiastical 
arid  civil,  determining  everything  by  the  standard  of  equity 
and  good  conscience.  They  used  to  come  to  the  merits  of 
the  cause  as  soon  as  they  could  without  injustice,  never 
admitting  such  impertinences  of  form  and  nicety  as  were 
not  absolutely  necessary ;  and  when  the  substance  of  the 
case  was  sufficiently  debated,  they  used  directly  to  bring  the 
suit  to  a  decision.  By  this  method,  all  fair  actions  were 
prosecuted  with  little  attendance,  all  just  debts  were  re 
covered  with  the  least  expense  of  money  and  time,  and  all 
the  tricking  and  foppery  of  the  law  happily  avoided. 

The  Lord  Colepepper,  who  was  a  man  of  admirable 
sense,  and  well  skilled  in  the  laws  of  England,  admired 
the  construction  of  their  courts,  and  kept  them  close  to 
this  plain  method,  retrenching  some  innovations  that  were 
then  creeping  into  them,  under  the  notion  of  form,  although, 
at  the  same  time,  he  was  the  occasion  of  taking  away  the 
liberty  of  appeals  to  the  assembly. 

But  the  Lord  Howard,  who  succeeded  him,  endeavored 
to  introduce  as  many  of  the  English  forms  as  he  could, 
being  directly  opposite  to  the  Lord  Colepepper  in  that  point. 

And  lastly,  Governor  Nicholson,  a  man  the  least  ac 
quainted  with  law  of  any  of  them,  endeavored  to  introduce 


206  COURTS     OP     LAW     IN     VIRGINIA, 

all  the  quirks  of  the  English  proceedings,  by  the  help  of 
some  wretched  pettifoggers,  who  had  the  direction  both  of 
his  conscience  and  his  understanding". 

O 

§  23.  They  have  two  sorts  of  courts,  that  differ  only  in 
jurisdiction,  namely  :  the  general  court,  and  the  county 
courts. 

§  24.  The  general  court  is  a  court  held  by  the  governor 
and  council,  or  any  five  of  them,  who  by  law  are  the 
judges  of  it,  and  take  cognizance  of  all  causes,  criminal^ 
penal,  ecclesiastical  and  civil.  From  this  court  there  is  no 
appeal,  except  the  thing  in  demand  exceed  the  value  of 
three  hundred  pounds  sterling,  in  which  case  an  appeal  is 
allowed  to  the  king  and  council,  in  England,  and  there 
determined  by  a  committee  of  the  privy  council,  called  the 
lords  of  appeals  ;  the  like  custom  being  used  for  all  the  other 
plantations.  In  criminal  cases,  I  don't  know  that  there's 
any  appeal  from  the  sentence  of  this  court  ;  but  the  governor 
js  authorized,  by  his  commission,  to  pardon  persons  found 
guilty  of  any  crime  whatsoever,  except  of  treason  and  wilful 
murder ;  and  even  in  those  cases,  he  may  reprieve  the 
criminal,  which  reprieve  stands  good,  and  may  be  continued 
from  time  to  time  until  his  majesty's  pleasure  be  signified 
therein. 

§  25.  This  court  is  held  twice  a  year,  beginning  on  the 
15th  of  April,  and  on  the  15th  of  October.  Each  time  it 
continues  eighteen  days,  excluding  Sundays,  if  the  business 
hold  them  so  long,  and  these  were  formerly  the  only  times 
of  goal  delivery ;  but  now,  by  the  governor's  commission ,. 
he  appoints  two  other  courts  of  goal  delivery,  and  the 
king  allows  cne  hundred  pounds  for  each  court  to  defray  the 
charge  thereof. 

§  26.  The  officers  attending  this  general  court,  are  the 
sheriff  of  the  county  wherein  it  sits,  and  his  under  officers. 
Their  business  is  to  call  the  litigants,  and  the  evidences 
into  court,  and  to  empannel  juries.  But  each  sheriff,  in 
his  respective  county,  makes  arrests^  and  returns  the  writs 
to  this  court. 


COURTS     OF     LAW     IN     VIRGINIA.  207 

%  27.  The  way  of  empanneling  juries  to  serve  in  this 
court,  is  thus  :  the  sheriff  and  his  deputies  "every  morning 
that  the  court  sits,  goes  about  the  town,  summoning  the 
best  of  the  gentlemen,  who  resort  thither  from  all  parts 
of  the  country.  The  condition  of  this  summons  is,  that 
they  attend  the  court  that  day  to  serve  upon  the  jury,  (it 
not  being  known  whether  there  will  be  occasion  or  no.) 
And  if  any  cause  happen  to  require  a  jury,  they  are  then 
sworn  to  try  the  issue,  otherwise,  they  are  in  the  evening^ 
of  course,  dismissed  from  all  further  attendance,  though 
they  be  not  formally  discharged  by  the  court.  By  this 
means  are  procured  the  best  juries  this  country  can  afford  ; 
lor  if  they  should  be  summoned  by  writ  of  venire,  from 
any  particular  county,  that  county  cannot  afford  so  many 
qualified  persons  as  are  here  to  be  found,  because  of  the  great 
resort  of  gentlemen  from  all  parts  of  the  colony  to  these 
courts,  as  well  to  see  fashions,  as  to  dispatch  their  particular 
business.  Nor  is  vicinage  necessary  there,  to  distinguish 
the  several  customs  of  particular  places,  the  whole  country 
being  as  one  neighborhood,  'and  having  the  same  tenures 
of  land,  usages  and  customs. 

The  grand  juries  are  empanneled  much  after  the  same 
manner  ;  but  because  they  require  a  greater  number  of 
men,  and  the  court  is  always  desirous  to  have  some  from 
ail  parts  of  the  country,  they  give  their  sheriff  order  a  day 
or  two  before,  to  provide  this  pannel. 

§  28.  In  criminal  matters  this  method  is  a  little  altered  ; 
because  a  knowledge  of  the  life,  and  conversation  of  the 
party,  may  give  light  to  the  jury  in  their  verdict.  For  this 
reason  a  writ  of  venire  issues  in  such  cases,  to  summon 
six  of  the  nearest  neighbors  to  the  criminal,  who  must  be 
of  the  same  county  wherein  he  lived  ;  which  writ  of  venire 
is  returned  by  the  sheriff  of  the  respective  county,  to  the 
secretary's  office,  and  the  names  are  taken  from  thence, 
by  the  sheriff  attending  the  general  court,  and  put  in  the 
front  of  the  pannel,  which  is  filled  up  with  the  names  of 
the  other  gentlemen  summoned  in  the  town,  to  be  of  the 


208  COURTS     OF     LAW     IN     VIRGINIA, 

petty  jury  for  the  trial  of  that  criminal.  If  the  prisoner 
have  a  mind  to  challenge  the  jurors,  the  same  liberty  is 
allowed  him  there  as  in  England  ;  and  if  the  pannel  fall 
short,  by  reason  of  such  challenge,  it  must  then  be  made 
up  of  the  bystanders. 

§  29.  All  actions  in  that  country  are  generally  brought-to 
a  determination  the  third  court,  unless  some  special,  extra 
ordinary  reason  be  shown  why  the  party  can'l  make  his 
defence  so  soon.  The  course  is  thus :  upon  the  defend 
ant's  nonapperance,  order  goes  against  the  bail,  (for  a  capias 
is  generally  their  first  process,)  on  condition,  dial  unless 
the  defendant  appear,  and  plead  at  the  next  court,  judgment 
shall  then  be  awarded  for  the  plaintiff.  When  the  defendant 
comes  to  the  next  court  he  is  held  to  plead.  Thus,  by 
common  course,  a  year  and  a  half  ends  a  cause  in  the 
general  court,  and  three  or  four  months  in  the  county  court. 
If  any  one  appeal  from  the  judgment  of  the  county  court, 
the  trial  always  comes  on  the  succeeding  general  court ;  so 
that  all  business  begun  in  the  county  court,  tho'  it  runs 
to  the  utmost  of  the  law,  (without  some  extraordinary  event,) 
ought  to  be  finished  in  nine  months. 

§  30.  Every  one  that  pleases,  may  plead  his  own  cause; 
or  else  his  friends  for  him,  there  being  no  restraint  in  that 
case,  nor  any  licensed  practitioners  in  the  law.  If  any  one 
be  dissatisfied  with  the  judgment  of  the  county  court,  let 
it  be  for  any  sum,  little  or  great,  he  may  have  an  appeal 
to  the  next  general  court,  giving  security  to  answer,  and 
abide  the  judgment  of  that  court  ;  but  an  action  cannot 
originally  be  brought  in  the  general  court,  under  the  value 
of  ten  pounds  sterling,  or  of  two  thousand  pounds  of  tobacco, 
except  in  some  particular  cases  of  penal  laws. 

§31.  The  county  courts  are  constituted  by  law,  and  the 
justices  thereof  appointed  by  commission  from  the  governor 
with  advice  of  council.  They  consist  of  eight  or  more 
gentlemen  of  the  county,  called  justices  of  the  peace,  the 
sheriff  being  only  a  ministerial  officer  to  execute  its  process. 
This  court  is  held  monthly,  and  has  jurisdiction  of  all 


COURTS     OP     LAW     IN     VIRGINIA.  209 

causes  within  the  county,  cognizable  by  common  law  or 
chancery,  and  not  touching  life  or  member,  and  never  was 
limited  to  any  value  in  its  jurisdiction,  as  Mr.  Oldmixion 
would  have  it,  pag.  298.  But  in  the  case  of  hog  stealing, 
they  may  sentence  the  criminal  to  lose  his  ears  ;  which  is 
allowed  by  a  particular  act  for  that  purpose,  as  the  pun 
ishment  of  the  second  offence,  the  third  is  felony.  In  all 
things  they  proceed  in  the  same  manner  as  the  general 
court. 

§  32.  This  monthly  court  hath  the  care  of  all  orphans, 
and  of  their  estates,  and  for  the  binding  out  and  well  order 
ing  of  such  fatherless  children,  who  are  either  without  an 
estate,  or  have  very  little. 

In  September  annually  they  are  to  enquire  into  the  keep 
ing  and  management  of  the  orphan,  as  to  his  sustenance  and 
education,  to  examine  into  his  estate,  and  the  securities 
thereof,  viz  :  whether  the  sureties  continue  to  be  responsible, 
and  his.  lands  and  plantations  be  kept  improving,  and  in 
repair,  &c.  If  the  orphan  be  poor,  and  bound  an  appren 
tice  to  any  trade,  then  their  business  is  to  enquire,  how  he 
is  kept  to  his  schooling  and  trade  ;  and  if  the  court  find  he 
is  either  misused  or  untaught,  they  take  him  from  that 
master,  and  put  him  to  another  of  the  same  trade,  or  of 
any  other  trade,  which  they  judge  best  for  the  child.  They 
cannot  bind  an  orphan  boy  but  to  a  trade,  or  the  sea. 

Another  charitable  method  in  favor  of  the  poor  orphans 
there,  is  this  :  that  besides  their  trade  and  schooling,  the 
masters  are  generally  obliged  to  give  them  at  their  freedom, 
cattle,  tools,  or  other  things,  to  the  value  of  five,  six,  or  ten 
pounds,  according  to  the  age  of  the  child  when  bound,  over 
and  above  the  usual  quantity  of  corn  and  clothes.  The 
boys  are  bound  till  one  and  twenty  years  of  age,  and  the 
girls  till  eighteen.  At  which  time,  they  who  have  taken 
any  care  to  improve  themselves,  generally  get  well  married, 
and  live  in  plenty,  though  they  had  not  a  farthing  of 
paternal  estate. 


27 


CHAPTEE  VII. 


OF   THE    CHURCH    AND    CHURCH    AFFAIRS. 

§  33.  Their  parishes  are  accounted  large  or  small,  in  pro 
portion  to  the  number  of  tithables  contained  in  them,  and 
not  according  to  the  extent  of  land. 

§  34.  They  have  in  each  parish  a  convenient  church, 
built  either  of  timber,  brick  or  stone,  and  decently  adorned 
wilh  everything  necessary  for  the  celebration  of  divine  ser 
vice. 

If  a  parish  be  of  greater  extent  than  ordinary,  it  hath  ge 
nerally  a  chapel  of  ease  ;  and  some  of  the  parishes  have 
two  such  chapels,  besides  the  church,  for  the  greater  con 
venience  of  the  parishioners.  In  these  chapels  the  minis 
ter  preaches  alternately,  always  leaving  a  reader  to  read 
prayers  when  he  can't  attend  himself. 

§  35.  The  people  are  generally  of  the  church  of  Eng 
land,  which  is  the  religion  established  by  law  in  that  coun 
try,  from  which  there  are  very  few  dissenters.  Yet  liberty 
of  conscience  is  given  to  all  other  congregations  pretending 
to  Christianity,  on  condition  they  submit  to  all  parish  du 
ties.  They  have  but  one  set  conventicle  amongst  them, 
viz  :  a  meeting  of  Quakers  in  Nansemond  county, 
ethers  that  have  lately/  been  being  now  extinct  ;  and  'tis 
observed  by  letting  them  alone  they  decrease  daily. 

§  36.  The  maintenance  for  a  minister  there,  is  appointed 
by  law  at  sixteen  thousand  pounds  of  tobacco  per  annum,  (be 
the  paiish  great  or  small  ;)  as  also  a  dwelling  house  and  glebe, 
together  with  certain  perquisites  for  marriages  and  funeral 
sermons.  That  which  makes  the  difference  in  the  benefices 


OP    THE    CHURCH    AND    CHURCH    AFFAIRS.  21  I 

of  the  clergy  is  the  value  of  the  tobacco,  according  to 
the  distinct  species  of  it,  or  according  to  the  place  of  its 
growth.  Besides,  in  large  and  rich  parishes,  more  marriages 
will  probably  happen,  and  more  funeral  sermons. 

The  fee  by  law  for  a  funeral  sermon  is  forty  shillings, 
or  four  hundred  pounds  of  tobacco  ;  for  a  marriage  by 
license  twenty  shillings,  or  two  hundred  pounds  of  tobacco, 
and  where  the  banns  are  proclaimed,  only  five  shillings,  or 
fifty  pounds  of  tobacco. 

When  these  salaries  were  granted,  the  assembly  valued 
tobacco  at  ten  shillings  per  hundred  ;  at  which  rate,  the 
sixteen  thousand  pounds  comes  to  fourscore  pounds  steiling  ; 
but  in  all  parishes  where  the  sweet-scented  grows,  since 
the  law  for  appointing  agents  to  view  the  tobacco  was 
made,  it  has  generally  been  sold  for  double  that  value, 
and  never  under. 

In  some  parishes,  likewise,  there  are  by  donation  stocks 
of  cattle  and  negroes  on  the  glebes,  which  aie  also  allowed 
to  the  minister  for  his  use  aqd  encouragement,  he  only 
being  accountable  for  the  surrender  of  the  same  value 
when  he  leaves  the  parish. 

§  37.  For  the  well  governing  of  these,  and  all  other 
parochial  affairs,  a  vestry  is  appointed  in  each  parish. 
These  vestries  consist  of  twelve  gentlemen  of  the  parish, 
and  were  at  first  chosen  by  the  vote  of  the  parishioners  ; 
but  upon  the  death  of  any,  have  been  continued  by  the 
survivors  electing  another  in  his  place.  These,  in  the  name 
of  the  parish,  make  presentation  of  ministers,  and  have 
the  sole  power  of  all  parish  assessments.  They  are  qua 
lified  for  this  employment  by  subscribing,  to  be  conform 
able  to  the  doctrine  •  and  discipline  of  the  church  of 
England.  If  there  be  a  minister  incumbent,  he  always 
presides  in  the  vestry. 

For  the  ease  of  the  vestry  in  general,  and  for  discharging 
the  business  of  the  parish,  they  choose  two  from  among 
themselves  to  be  church-wardens,  which  must  be  annually 
changed,  that  the  burthen  may  lie  equally  upon  all.  The 


212  OP   THE    CHURCH    AND    CHURCH    AFFAIRS. 

business  of  these  church-wardens,  is  to  see  the  orders  and 
agreements  of  the  vestry  performed  ;  to  collect  all  the 
parish  tobacco,  and  distribute  it  to  the  several  claimers ; 
to  make  up  the  accounts  of  the  parish,  and  to  present  all 
profaneness  and  immorality  to  the  county  courts,  and  there 
prosecute  it. 

By  these  the  tobacco  of  the  minister  is  collected,  and 
brought  to  him  in  hogsheads  convenient  for  shipping,  so 
that  he  is  at  no  farther  trouble  but  to  receive  it  in  that 
condition.  This  was  ordained  by  the  law  of  the  country, 
for  the  ease  of  the  ministers,  that  so  they  being  delivered 
from  the  trouble  of  gathering  in  their  dues,  may  have  the 
more  time  to  apply  themselves  to  the  exercises  of  their  holy 
function,  and  live  in  a  decency  suitable  to  their  order.  It 
may  here  be  observed,  that  the  labor  of  a  dozen  negroes 
does  but  answer  this  salary,  and  seldom  yields  a  greater 
crop  of  sweet  scented  tobacco  than  is  allowed  to  each  of 
their  ministers. 

§  38.  Probates  of  wills  and  administrations  are,  accord 
ing  to  their  law,  petitioned  for  in  the  county  courts ;  and 
by  them  security  taken  and  certified  to  the  governor,  which, 
if  he  approves  the  commission,  is  then  signed  by  them 
without  fee.  Marriage  licenses  are  issued  by  the  clerks  of 
those  courts,  and  signed  by  the  justice  in  commission,  or 
by  any  other  person  deputed  by  the  governor,  for  which  a 
fee  of  twenty  shillings  must  be  paid  to  the  governor.  The 
power  of  induction,  upon  presentation  of  ministers,  is  also 
in  the  governor. 

In  the  year  1642,  when  the  sectaries  began  to  spread 
themselves  so  much  in  England,  the  assembly  made  a  law 
against  them,  to  prevent  their  preaching  and  propagating 
their  doctrines  in  that  colony.  They  admitted  none  to 
preach  in  their  churches  but  ministers  ordained  by  some 
reverend  bishop  of  the  church  of  England,  and  the  gover 
nor,  for  the  time  being,  as  the  most  suitable  public  person 
among  them,  was  left  sole  judge  of  the  certificates  of  such 
ordination,  and  so  he  has  continued  ever  since. 


OP   THE    CHURCH    AND    CHURCH    AFFAIRS.  213 

§  39.  The  only  thing  I  have  heard  the  clergy  complain 
of  there,  is  what,  they  call  precariousness  in  their  livings  ; 
that  is,  that  they  have  not  inductions  generally,  and  there 
fore  are  not  entitled  to  a  freehold  ;  but  are  liable,  without 
trial  or  crime  alledged,  to  be  put  out  by  the  vestry.  And 
though  some  have  prevailed  with  their  vestries,  to  present 
them  for  induction,  yet  the  greater  number  of  the  ministers 
have  no  induction,  but  are  entertained  by  agreement  with 
their  vestries,  yet  are  they  very  rarely  turned  out  without 
some  great  provocation,  and  then,  if  they  have  not  been 
abominably  scandalous,  they  immediately  get  other  parishes, 
for  there  is  no  benefice  whatsoever  in  that  country  that 
remains  without  a  minister  if  they  can  get  one,  and  no 
qualified  minister  ever  yet  returned  from  that  country  for 
want  of  preferment.  They  have  now  several  vacant 
parishes. 


CHAPTER    VIII. 


CONCERNING   THE    COLLEGE. 

§40.  The  college,  as  has  been  hinted,  was  founded  by 
their  late  majesties,  King  William  and  Queen  Mary,  of 
happy  memory,  in  the  year  1692.  Towaids  the  founding 
of  which,  they  gave  one  thousand  nine  hundred  and  eighty- 
five  pounds,  fourteen  shillings  and  ten  pence.  They  gave 
moreover,  towards  the  endowment  of  it,  twenty  thousand 
acres  of  land  ;  the  revenue  of  one  pence  per  pound  on 
tobacco  exported  to  the  plantations  from  Virginia  and 
Maryland  ;  and  the  surveyor  general's  place,  then  avoid  ; 
and  appointed  them  a  burgess  to  represent  them  in  the 
assemblies.  The  land  hitherto  has  yielded  little  or  no 
profit  ;  the  duty  of  one  pence  per  pound,  brings  in  about 
two  hundred  pounds  a  year ;  and  the  surveyor  general's 
place,  about  fifty  pounds  a  year.  To  which  the  assembly 
had  added  a  duty  on  skins  and  furs  exported,  worth  about 
an  hundred  pounds  a  year. 

§41.  By  the  same  charter,  likewise,  their  majesties  granted 
a  power  to  certain  gentlemen,  and  the  survivors  of  them, 
as  trustees,  to  build  and  establish  the  college,  by  the  name 
of  William  and  Mary  college  ;  to  consist  of  a  president  and 
six  masters,  or  professors,  and  an  hundred  scholars,  more 
or  less,  graduates  or  non-graduates  ;  enabling  the  said  trus 
tees,  as  a  body  corporate,  to  enjoy  annuities,  spiritual  and 
temporal,  of  the  value  of  two  thousand .  pounds  sterling  per 
annum,  with  proviso  to  convert  it  to  the  building  and  adorn 
ing  the  college  ;  and  then  to  make  over  the  remainder  to 
the  president"  and  masters,  and  their  successors,  who  are 
likewise  to  become  a  corporation,  and  be  enabled  to  pur- 


CONCERNING   THE    COLLEGE.  215 

chase  and  hold  to  the  value  of  two  thousand .  pounds  a 
year,  but  no  more. 

§  42.  The  persons  named  in  the  charter  for  trustees, 
are  made  governors  and  visitors  of  the  college,  and  to  have 
a  perpetual  succession,  by  the  name  of  governors  and  visitors, 
with  power  to  fill  up  their  own  vacancies,  happening  by 
the  death  or  removal  of  any  of  them.  Their  complete 
number  may  be  eighteen,  but  not  to  exceed  twenty,  of 
which  one  is  to  be  rector,  and  annually  chosen  by  them 
selves,  on  the  first  Monday  after  the  25th  of  March. 

These  have  the  nomination  of  the  president  and  masters 
of  the  college,  and  all  other  officers  belonging  to  it  j  and 
the  power  of  making  statutes  and  ordinances,  for  the  better 
rule  and  government  thereof. 

§  43.  The  building  is  to  consist  of  a  quadrangle,  two 
sides  of  which  are  not  yet  carried  up.  In  this  part  are 
contained  all  conveniencies  of  cooking,  brewing,  baking, 
&c.,  and  convenient  rooms  for  the  reception  of  the  presi 
dent  and  masters,  with  many  more  scholars  than  are  as  yet 
come  to  it.  In  this  part  are  also  the  hall  and  school 
room. 

§  44.  The  college  was  intended  to  be  an  intire  square 
when  finished.  Two  sides  of  this  were  finished  in  the 
latter  end  of  Governor  Nicholson's  time,  and  the  masters 
and  scholars,  with  the  necessary  housekeepers  and  servants, 
were  settled  in  it,  and  so  continued  till  the  first  year  of 
Governor  Nott's  time,  in  which  it  happened  to  be  burnt 
(no  body  knows  how)  down  to  the  ground,  and  very  little 
saved  that  was  in  it,  the  fire  breaking  out  about  ten  o'clock 
at  night  in  a  public  time. 

The  governor,  and  all  the  gentlemen  that  were  in  town, 
came  up  to  the  lamentable  spectacle,  many  getting  out  of 
their  beds.  But  the  fire  had  got  such  power  before  it  was 
discovered,  and  was  so  fierce,  that  there  was  no  hope  of 
putting  a  stop  to  it,  and  therefore  no  attempts  made  to  that 
end. 

In  this  condition  it  lay  till  the  arrival  of   Colonel  Spotts- 


216  CONCERNING   THE    COLLEGE. 

wood,   their   present   governor,  in    whose   time   it   was   raised 
again   the   same   bigness   as  before,   and   settled. 

There  had  been  a  donation  of  large  sums  of  money,  by 
the  Hon.  Robert  Boyle,  esq.,  to  this  college,  for  the  educa 
tion  of  Indian  children  therein.  In  order  to  make  use  of 
this,  they  had  formerly  bought  half  a  dozen  captive  Indian 
children  slaves,  and  put  them  to  the  college.  This  method 
did  not  satisfy  this  governor,  as  not  answering  the  intent  of 
the  donor.  So  to  work  he  goes,  among  the  tributary  and 
other  neighboring  Indians,  and  in  a  short  time  brought  them 
to  send  their  children  to  be  educated,  and  brought  new 
nations,  some  of  which  lived  four  hundred  miles  off,  taking 
their  children  for  hostages  and  education  equally,  at  the 
same  time  setting  up  a  school  in  the  frontiers  convenient 
to  the  Indians,  that  they  might  often  see  their  children 
under  the  first  managements,  where  they  learned  to  read, 
paying  fifty  pounds  per  annum  out  of  his  own  pocket  to 
the  schoolmaster  there  ;  after  which  many  were  brought  to 
the  college,  where  they  were  taught  till  they  grew  big 
enough  for  their  hunting  and  other  exercises,  at  which  time 
they  were  returned  home,  and  smaller  taken  in  their  stead. 


CHAPTER    IX. 


OP    THE    MILITIA    IN    VIRGINIA. 

§  45.  The  militia  are  the  only  standing  forces  in  Virginia. 
They  are  happy  in  the  enjoyment  of  an  everlasting  peace, 
which  their  poverty  and  want  of  towns  secure  to  them. 
They  have  the  Indians  round  about  in  subjection,  and  have 
no  sort  of  apprehension  from  them  :  and  for  a  foreign  enemy, 
it  can  never  be  worth  their  while  to  carry  troops  sufficient 
to  conquer  the  country  ;  and  the  scattering  method  of  their 
settlement  will  not  answer  the  charge  of  an  expedition  to 
plunder  them  :  so  that  they  feel  none  but  the  distant  effect 
of  war,  which,  however,  keeps  'em  so  poor,  that  they  can 
boast  of  nothing  but  the  security  of  their  persons  and  habi 
tations. 

§46.  The  governor  is  lieutenant-general  by  his  commis 
sion,  and  in  each  county  does  appoint  the  colonel,  lieutenant- 
colonel  and  major,  who  have  under  them  captains,  and 
other  commissioned  and  subaltern  officers. 

Every  freeman,  (by  which  denomination  they  call  all,  but 
indented,  or  bought  servants,)  from  sixteen  to  sixty  years  of 
age,  is  listed  in  the  militia  ;  which  by  a  law  is  to  be  mus 
tered  in  a  general  muster  for  each  county  once  a  year  ;  and 
in  single  troops  and  companies,  four  times  more  at  the 
least :  most  people  there  are  skilful  in  the  use  of  fire-arms, 
being  all  their  lives  accustomed  to  shoot  in  the  woods. 
This,  together  with  a  little  exercising,  would  soon  make  the 
militia  useful. 

§47.  The  exact  number  of  the  militia  is  not  now  known, 
there  not  being  any  account  of  the  number  taken  of  late 
23 


218  MILITIA    IN    VIRGINIA. 

years,  but  I  guess  them  at  this  time  to  be  about  eighteen 
thousand  effective  men  in  all. 

And  -whereas  by  the  practice  of  former  times  upon  the 
militia  law,  several  people  were  obliged  to  travel  sometimes 
thirty  or  forty  miles  to  a  private  muster  of  a  troop  or  com 
pany,  which  was  very  burdensome  to  some,  more  than 
others,  to  answer  only  the  same  duty  ;  this  governor,  just 
and  regular  in  all  his  conduct,  and  experienced  to  put  his 
desires  in  execution,  so  contrived,  by  dividing  the  counties 
into  several  cantons  or  military  districts,  forming  the  troops 
and  companies  to  each  canton,  and  appointing  the  muster- 
fields  in  the  centre  of  each,  that  now  throughout  the  whole 
country,  none  are  obliged  to  travel  above  ten  miles  to  a  pri 
vate  muster,  and  yet  the  law  put  in  due  execution. 

§  48.  Instead  of  the  soldiers  they  formerly  kept  constantly 
in  forts,  and  of  the  others  after  them  by  the  name  of  ran 
gers,  to  scour  the  frontiers  clear  of  the  Indian  enemy,  they 
have  by  law  appointed  the  militia  to  march  out  upon  such 
occasions,  under  the  command  of  the  chief  officer  of  the 
county,  where  any  incursion  shall  be  notified.  And  if  they 
upon  such  expedition  remain  in  arms  three  days  and  up 
wards,  they  are  then  entitled  to  the  pay  for  the  whole  time  ; 
but  if  it  prove  a  false  alarm,  and  they  have  no  occasion  to 
continue  out  so  long,  they  can  demand  nothing. 

§  49.  The  number  of  soldiers  in  each  troop  of  light  horse, 
are  from  thirty  to  sixty,  as  the  convenience  of  the  canton 
will  admit ;  and  in  a  company  of  foot  about  fifty  or  sixty. 
A  troop  or  company  may  be  got  together  at  a  day's  warning. 


CHAPTEE  5. 


OF     THE     SERVANTS    AND    SLAVES     IN    VIRGINIA, 

§  50.  Their  servants  they  distinguish  by  the  names  of 
slaves  for  life,  and  servants  for  a  time. 

Slaves  are  the  negroes  and  their  posterity,  following1  the 
condition  of  the  mother,  according  to  the  maxim,  partus 
frequitur  ventrem.  They  are  called  slaves,  in  respect  of 
the  time  of  their  servitude,  because  it  is  for  life. 

Servants,  are  those  which  serve  only  for  a  few  years, 
according  to  the  time  of  their  indenture,  or  the  custom 
of  the  country.  The  custom  of  the  country  takes  place 
upon  such  as  have  no  indentures.  The  law  in  this  case 
is,  that  if  such  servants  be  under  nineteen  years  of  age, 
they  must  be  brought  into  court  to  have  their  age  ad 
judged  ;  and  from  the  age  they  are  judged  to  be  of,  they 
must  serve  until  they  reach  four  and  twenty;  but  if  they 
be  adjudged  upwards  of  nineteen,  they  are  then  only  to 
be  servants  for  the  term  of  five  years. 

§  51.  The  male  servants,  and  slaves  of  both  sexes,  are 
employed  together  in  tilling  and  manuring  the  ground, 
in  sowing  and  planting  tobacco,  corn,  &c.  Some  distinc 
tion  indeed  is  made  between  them  in  their  clothes,  and 
food  ;  but  the  work  of  both  is  no  other  than  what  the  over 
seers,  the  freemen,  and  the  planters  themselves  do. 

Sufficient  distinction  13  also  made  between  the  female 
servants,  and  slaves  ;  for  a  white  woman  is  rarely  or  never 
put  to  work  in  the  ground,  if  she  be  good  for  anything 
else  -,  and  to  discourage  all  planters  from  using  any  women 
so,  their  law  makes  female  servants  working  in  the  ground 


220  SERVANTS    AND    SLAVES     IN     VIRGINIA, 

tithables,  while  it  suffers  all  other  white  women  to  be  ab 
solutely  exempted  ;  whereas,  on  the  other  hand,  it  is  a 
common  thing  to  work  a  woman  slave  out  of  doors,  nor 
does  the  law  make  any  distinction  in  her  taxes,  whether 
her  work  be  abroad  or  at  home. 

§  52.  Because  I  have  heard  how  strangely  cruel  and  se 
vere  the  service  of  this  country  is  represented  in  some  parts 
of  England,  I  can't  forbear  affirming,  that  the  work  of 
their  servants  and  slaves  is  no  other  than  what  every  com 
mon  freeman  does  ;  neither  is  any  servant  required  to  do 
more  in  a  day  than  his  overseer ;  and  I  can  assure  you, 
with  great  truth,  that  generally  their  slaves  are  not  worked 
near  so  hard,  nor  so  many  hours  in  a  day,  as  the  hus 
bandmen,  and  day  laborers  in  England.  An  overseer  is 
a  man,  that  having  served  his  time,  has  acquired  the  skill 
and  character  of  an  experienced  planter,  and  is  therefore 
entrusted  with  the  direction  of  the  servants  and  slaves. 

But  to  complete  this  account  of  servants,  1  shall  give 
you  a  short  relation  of  the  care  their  laws  take,  that  they 
be  used  as  tenderly  as  possible : 

BY     THE     LAWS    OF    THEIR     COUNTRY, 

1 .  All   servants   whatsoever    have    their   complaints    heard 
without  fee   or   reward  ;   but   if    the  master   be  found  faulty, 
the    charge   of   the   complaint    is   cast    upon    him,   otherwise 
the   business   is   done   ex  ojfficio. 

2.  Any  justice  of    the   peace   may   receive   the   complaint 
of.    a   servant,  and  order   everything   relating   thereto,  till   the 
next   county   court,   where   it   will   be   finally   determined. 

3.  All   masters    are  under  the   correction  and   censure   of 
the   county   courts,   to   provide   for    their  servants    good    and 
wholesome   diet,   clothing   and   lodging. 

4.  They  are   always  to  appear  upon  the  first  notice  given 
of    the   complaint   of    their   servants,  otherwise  to   forfeit   tha 
service   of    them   until   they  do   appear. 

5.  All  servants'  complaints  are  to  be  received  at  any  time 


SERVANTS    AND     SLAVES     IN    VIRGINIA.  221 

in  court,  without  process,  and  shall  not  be  delayed  for  want 
of  form  ;  but  the  merits  of  the  complaint  must  be  imme 
diately  enquired  into  by  the  justices ;  and  if  the  master 
cause  any  delay  therein,  the  court  may  remove  such  ser 
vants,  if  they  see  cause,  until  the  master  will  come  to 
trial. 

6.  If   a   master   shall    at   any    time    disobey   an    order  of 
court,  made   upon   any  complaint  of  a   servant,  the  court  is 
empowered    to   remove    such    servant    forthwith    to    another 
master   who   will    be    kinder,   giving   to   the    former    master 
the   produce   only,  (after   fees   deducted,)  of   what   such    ser 
vants   shall   be   sold  for   by  public   outcry. 

7.  If  a   master  should   be  so  cruel,  as  to  use  his   servant 
ill,   that   is  fallen   sick  or   lame   in   his   service,  and   thereby 
rendered  unfit  for  labor,  he  must  be  removed  by  the  church 
wardens   out  of    the   way  of    such   cruelty,   and   boarded    in 
some    good    planter's    house,   till   the   time   of    his   freedom, 
the  charge  of    which   must   be   laid   before   the   next   county 
court,    which    has    power   to   levy   the    same,   from    time  to 
time,    upon    the    goods    and    chattels    of    the    master,    after 
which,   the  charge  of   such   boarding  is  to   come   upon   the 
parish   in   general. 

8.  All   hired   servants   are   entitled   to   these   privileges. 

9.  No   master  of    a  servant  can  make  a  new  bargain  for 
service,  or  other  matter  with  his  servant,   without  the  privity 
and   consent   of    the    county   court,   to   prevent    the   masters 
overreaching,  or   scaring  such   servant   into    an    unreasonable 
compliance. 

10.  The    property   of     all    money   and    goods    sent   over 
thither   to   servants,  or  carried   in   with   them,  is   reserved   to 
themselves,   and   remains   entirely   at  their   disposal. 

11.  Each   servant   at  his  freedom  receives   of    his   master 
ten  bushels  of    corn,  (which   is  sufficient  for  almost  a  year,) 
two   new   suits   of    clothes,   both    linen    and    woolen,   and   a 
gun,   twenty   shillings   value,   and    then   becomes   as   free   in 
all    respects,    and    as    much     entitled    to    the    liberties    and 


222  SERVANTS    AND    SLAVES     IN    VIRGINIA. 

privileges    of    the    country,   as    any   of    the    inhabitants  or 
natives  are,  if   such  servants  were  not  aliens. 

12.    Each  servant  has  then   also  a  right  to  take  up  fifty 
acres  of    land,   where   he  can  find  any  unpatented. 

This  is  what  the  laws  prescribe  in  favor  of  servants,  by 
which  you  may  find,  that  the  cruelties  and  severities  im 
puted  to  that  country,  are  an  unjust  reflection.  For  no 
people  more  abhor  the  thoughts  of  such  usage,  than  the 
Yirginians,  nor  take  more  precaution  to  prevent  it 
whatever  it  was  in  former  days. 


CHAPTER    XI. 


OF   THE    OTHER     PUBLIC    CHARITABLE    WORKS,    AND    PARTICU 
LARLY    THEIR     PROVISION    FOR   THE     POOR. 

§  53.  They  live  in  so  happy  a  climate,  and  have  so  fer 
tile  a  soil;  that  nobody  is  poor  enough  to  beg,  or  want 
food;  though  they  have  abundance  of  people  that  are  lazy 
enough  lo  deserve  it.  I  remember  the  time  when  five 
pounds  was  left  by  a  charitable  testator  to  the  poor  of  the 
parish  he  lived  in,  and  it  lay  nine  years  before  the  execu 
tors  could  find  one  poor  enough  to  accept  of  this  legacy, 
but  at  last  it  was  given  to  an  old  woman.  So  that  this 
may  in  truth  be  termed  the  best  poor  man's  country  in 
the  world.  But  as  they  have  nobody  that  is  poor  to  beg 
gary,  so  they  have  few  that  are  rich  j  their  estates  being 
regulated  by  the  merchants  in  England,  who  it  seems 
know  best  what  is  profit  enough  for  them  in  the  sale  of 
their  tobacco  and  other  trade. 

§  54.  When  it  happens,  that  by  accident  or  sickness,  any 
person  is  disabled  from  working,  and  so  is  forced  to  depend 
upon  the  alms  of  the  parish,  he  is  then  very  well  pro 
vided  for,  not  at  the  common  rate  of  some  countries,  that 
give  but  just  sufficient  to  preserve  the  poor  from  perishing  ; 
but  the  unhappy  creature  is  received  into  some  charitable 
planter's  house,  where  he  is  at  the  public  charge  boarded 
plentifully. 

Many  when  they  are  crippled,  or  by  long  sickness  become 
poor,  will  sometimes  ask  to  be  free  from  levies  and  taxes  ; 
but  very  few  others  do  ever  ask  for  the  parish  alms,  or, 
indeed,  BO  much  as  stand  in  need  of  them. 


224  PUBLIC    CHARITABLE    WORKS. 

§  55.  There  are  large  tracts  of  land,  houses,  and  other 
things  granted  to  free  schools,  for  the  education  of  children 
in^many  parts  of  the  country  ;  and  some  of  these  are  so 
large,  that  of  themselves  they  are  a  handsome  mainte 
nance  to  a  master  ;  but  the  additional  allowance  which  gen 
tlemen  give  with  their  sons,  render  them  a  comfortable 
subsistence.  These  schools  have  been  founded  by  the  lega 
cies  of  well  inclined  gentlemen,  and  the  management  of 
them  hath  commonly  been  left  to  the  direction  of  the 
county  court,  or  to  the  vestry  of  the  respective  parishes.  In 
all  other  places  where  such  endowments  have  not  been 
already  made,  the  people  join,  and  build  schools  for  their 
children,  where  they  may  learn  upon  very  easy  terms. 


CHAP  TEE    XII. 


OF     THE     TENURE     BY     WHICH     THEY     HOLD     THEIR     LANDS., 
AND    OF    THEIR    GRANTS. 

§  56.  The  tenure  of  their  land  there  is  free  and  com 
mon  soccage,  according  to  custom  of  east  Greenwich  ;  and 
is  created  by  letters  patents,  issuing  under  the  seal  of  the 
colony,  and  under  the  test  of  the  governor  in  chief  for 
the  time  being.  I  don't  find  that  the  name  of  any  other 
officer  is  necessary  to  make  the  patent  valid. 

§  57.  There  are  three  ways  of  obtaining  from  his  ma 
jesty  a  title  to  land  there,  viz  :  1.  By  taking  a  patent 
upon  a  survey  of  new  land.  2.  By  petition  for  land 
lapsed.  3.  By  petition  for  land  escheated.  The  conditions 
of  the  two  former  are  the  entry  of  rights  ;  the  condition  of 
she  third  a  composition  of  two  pounds  of  tobacco  for  every 
acre. 

§  58.  A  right  is  a  title  any  one  hath  by  the  royal  char 
ter  to  fifty  acres  of  land,  in  consideration  of  his  personal 
transportation  into  that  country,  to  settle  and  remain  there  ; 
by  this  rule  also,  a  man  that  removes  his  family  is  en 
titled  to  the  same  number  of  acres  for  his  wife,  and  each 
of  his  children  ;  a  right  may  be  also  obtained  by  paying 
live  shillings,  according  to  a  late  royal  instruction  to  the 
government. 

§  59.  A  patent  upon  land  for  survey  is  acquired  thus  : 
1.  The  man  proves  his  rights  ;  that  is,  he  makes  oath  in 
court  of  the  importation  of  so  many  persons,  with  a  list 
of  their  names.  This  list  is  then  certified  by  the  clerk 
of  that  court  to  the  clerk  of  the  secretaiy's  office,  who 
examines  into  the  validity  of  them,  and  files  them  in  that 
29 


226  TENURE    BY    WHICH    THEY    HOLD    LANDS. 

office,  attesting  ihem  to  be  regular,  or  he  purchases  them 
at  five  shillings  each  as  aforesaid.  When  the  rights  are 
thus  obtained,  they  are  produced  to  the  surveyor  of  the 
county,  and  the  land  is  showed  to  him  ;  who,  thereupon, 
is  bound  to  make  the  survey  if  the  land  had  not  been 
patented  before.  These  rights  to  land  are  as  commonly 
sold  by  one  man  to  another,  as  the  land  itself ;  so  that 
any  one,  not  having  rights  by  his  own  importation,  may 
have  them  by  purchase. 

It  is  the  business  of  the  surveyor  also  to  take  care  that 
the  bounds  of  his  survey  be  plainly  marked,  either  by 
natural  boundaries,  or  else  by  chopping  notches  in  the 
trees,  that  happen  in  the  lines  of  his  courses  ;  but  this  is 
done  at  the  charge  of  the  man  that  employs  him. 

This  survey  being  made,  a  copy  thereof  is  carried,  with 
a  certificate  of  rights  to  the  secretary's  office,  and  there  (if 
there  be  no  objection)  a  patent  of  course  is  made  out  upon 
it,  which  is  presented  to  the  governor  and  council  for 
them  to  pass ;  the  patentee  having  no  more  to  do  but  to 
send  for  it  when  it  is  perfected,  and  to  pay  the  fee  at 
the  first  crop  to  the  sheriff  of  the  county,  by  whom  an 
nually  the  fees  are  collected. 

This  patent  gives  an  estate  in  fee  simple,  upon  condi 
tion  of  paying  a  quit  rent  of  twelve  pence  for  every  fifly 
acres,  and  of  planting  or  seating  thereon,  within  three  years, 
according  to  their  law  ;  that  is,  to  clear,  plant,  and  tend 
three  acres  of  ground  for  every  fifty,  and  to  build  an 
house,  and  keep  a  stock  of  cattle,  sheep,  or  goats,  in 
proportion  to  the  meaner  part  of  the  land  in  the  patent. 

§  60.  Lapsed  land,  is  when  any  one  having  obtained  a 
patent  as  before,  doth  not  set  or  plant  thereon  within 
three  years,  as  the  condition  of  the  patent  requires  ;  but 
leaves  it  slill  all  or  part  uninhabited  and  uncultivated.  In 
such  case  it  is  said  to  be  lapsed,  and  any  man  is  at 
liberty  to  obtain  a  new  patent  in  his  own  name  of  so 
much  as  is  lapsed,  the  method  of  acquiring  which  patent 
is  thus. 


TENURE    BY    WHICH    THEY    HOLD    LANDS.  227 

The  party  must  apply  himself  by  petition  to  the  general 
court,  another  to  the  governor,,  setting  forth  all  the  circum 
stances  of  the  lapse.  If  this  petition  he  allowed,  the  court 
makes  an  order,  to  certify  the  same  to  the  governor,  in 
whose  breast  it  is  then  to  make  a  new  grant  thereof  to  such 
person  if  he  thinks  they  deserve  it,  upon  the  same  condi 
tion,  of  selling  or  planting  within  three  years,  as  was  in  the 
former  patent.  Thus  land  may  be  lapsed  or  lost  several 
times,  by  the  negligence  of  the  patentees  •  who,  by  such 
omission,  lose  not  only  the  land,  but  all  their  rights  and 
charges  into  the  bargain. 

But  if  within  the  three  years  after  the  date  of  the  patent, 
or  before  any  new  petition  is  preferred  for  it,  the  patentee 
shall  set  or  plant  the  said  land,  as  the  law  directs  ;  it  can 
not  afterwards  be  forfeited,  but  by  attainder,  or  escheat,  in 
which  case  it  returns  to  his  majesty  again. 

Also  when  it  happens,  that  the  patentee  dies  within  the 
three  years,  leaving  the  heir  under  age,  there  is  farther  time 
given  the  heir  after  he  comes  of  age  to  set  and  save  such 
land. 

§61.  When  land  is  suggested  to  escheat,  the  governor 
issues  his  warrant  to  the  escheator,  to  make  inquest  thereof  : 
and  when  upon  such  inquest,  office  is  found  for  the  king,  it 
must  be  recorded  in  the  secretary's  office,  and  there  kept 
nine  months,  to  see  if  any  person  will  lay  claim  to  it,  or 
can  traverse  the  escheat.  If  any  such  appear,  upon  his 
petition  to  the  general  court  he  is  heard,  before  any  grant 
can  be  made.  If  no  person  oppose  the  inquest,  the  land  is 
given  to  the  man  that  shews  the  best  equitable  right  thereto  ; 
and  if  there  be  none  such,  it  is  then  granted  to  any  one, 
that  the  governor  and  council  shall  think  fit,  the  grantee  al 
ways  paying  two  pounds  of  tobacco  per  acre  into  the  trea 
sury  of  the  country,  as  a  fine  of  composition  with  his  ma 
jesty  for  his  escheat  :  and  thereupon  a  patent  issues  reciting 
premises. 


CHAPTBE  XIII. 


OF      THE     LIBERTIES      AND     NATURALIZATION     OF     ALIENS      IN 

VIRGINIA. 

§  62.  Christians  of  all  nations  have  equal  freedom  there, 
and  upon  their  arrival  become  ipso  facto  entitled  to  all  the 
liberties  and  privileges  of  the  country,  provided  they  take 
the  oaths  of  obedience  to  the  crown  and  government,,  and 
obtain  the  governor's  testimonial  theieof. 

The  method  of  obtaining  naturalization  is  thus  :  the  party 
desiring  it  goes  before  the  governor,  and  tenders  his  oath  of 
allegiance,  which  the  governor  thereupon  administers,  and 
immediately  makes  certificate  of  it  under  the  seal  of  the 
colony.  By  this  means,  the  person  alien  is  completely  natu 
ralized  to  all  intents  and  purposes. 

§63.  The  French  refugees  sent  in  thither  by  the  charita 
ble  exhibition  of  his  late  majesty  king  William,  are  natura 
lized,  by  a  particular  law  for  that  purpose. 

In  the  year  1699,  there  went  over  about  three  hundred  of 
these,  and  the  year  following  about  two  hundred  more,  and 
so  on,  till  there  arrived  in  all  between  seven  and  eight  hun 
dred  men,  women  and  children,  who  had  fled  from  France 
on  account  of  their  religion. 

Those  who  went  over  the  first  year,  were  advised  to  seat 
on  a  piece  of  very  rich  land,  about  twenty  miles  above  the 
falls  of  James  river,  on  the  south  side  of  the  river  ;  which 
land  was  formerly  the  seat  of  a  great  and  warlike  nation  of 
Indians,  called  the  Manicans,  none  of  which  are  now  left 
in  those  parts  ;  but  the  land  still  retains  their  name,  and  is 
called  the  Man i can  town. 

The  refugees  that  arrived  the  second  year,  went  also  first 


LIBERTIES    AND    NATURALIZATION    OF    ALIKXS.  229 

to  the  Manican  town,  but  afterwards  upon  some  disagree 
ment,  several  dispersed  themselves  up  and  down  the  coun 
try  ;  and  those  that  have  arrived  since  have  followed  their 
example,  except  some  few,  that  settled  likewise  at  the  Ma 
nican  town. 

The  assembly  was  very  bountiful  to  those  who  remained 
at  ibis  town,  bestowing  on  them  large  donations,  money  and 
provisions  for  their  support  ;  they  likewise  freed  them  from 
every  public  tax,  for  several  years  to  come,  and  addressed 
the  governor  to  grant  them  a  brief,  to  entitle  them  to  the 
charity  of  all  well  disposed  persons  throughout  the  country  ; 
which  together  with  the  king's  benevolence,  supported  them 
very  comfortably,  till  they  could  sufficiently  supply  them 
selves  with  necessaries,  which  now  they  do  indifferently 
well,  and  have  stocks  of  cattle  and  hogs. 

The  year  1702,  they  began  an  essay  of  wine,  which  they 
made  of  the  wild  grapes  gathered  in  the  woods  ;  the  effect 
of  which  was  a  strong  bodied  claret,  of  good  flavor.  I  heard 
a  gentleman,  who  tasted  it,  give  it  great  commendation. 
Now  if  such  may  be  made  of  the  wild  vine  in  the  woods, 
without  pruning,  weeding,  or  removing  it  out  of  the  shade, 
what  may  not  be  produced  from  a  vineyard  skilfully  cultiva 
ted?  But  I  don't  hear  that  they  have  done  any  thing  since 
towards  it,  being  still  very  poor,  needy,  and  negligent. 


CHAPTER    XIV. 


OF    THE    CURRENCY    AND    VALUATION    OF     COINS    IN    VIRGINIA. 

§64.  The  coin  which  chiefly  they  have  among  them,  is 
either  gold,  of  the  stamp  of  Arabia,  or  silver  and  gold,  of 
the  stamp  of  France,  Portugal  or  the  Spanish  America  : 
Spanish,  French  and  Portuguese  coined  silver  is  settled  by 
law  at  three  pence  three  -farthings  the  pennyweight.  Gold 
of  the  same  coin,  and  of  Arabia,  at  five  shillings  the  penny 
weight.  English  guineas  at  twenty-six  shillings  each,  and 
the  silver  two  pence  in  every  shilling  advance,  English  old 
coin  goes  by  weight  as  the  other  gold  and  silver. 


OF   THE 

HUSBANDRY  AND  IMPROVEMENTS 

OF 

VIRGINIA. 

PART  II. 

CHAPTER   XV. 

OP    THE     PEOPLE,    INHABITANTS    OF    VIRGINIA. 

§65.  I  can  easily  imagine  with  Sir  Josiah  Child,  that 
this,  as  well  as  all  the  rest  of  the  plantation?,  was  for  the 
iriost  part;  at  first,  peopled  by  persons  of  low  circumstances, 
and  by  such  as  were  willing  to  seek  their  fortunes  in  a 
foreign  country.  Nor  was  it  hardly  possible  it  should  be 
otherwise  ;  for  'tis  not  likely  that  any  man  of  a  plentiful 
estate  should  voluntarily  abandon  a  happy  certainly,  to  roam 
after  imaginary  advantages  in  a  new  world.  Besides  which 
uncertainty,  he  must  have  proposed  to  himself  to  encounter 
the  infinite  difficulties  and  dangers  that  attend  a  new  settle 
ment.  These  discouragements  were  sufficient  to  terrify  any 
man,  that  could  live  easily  in  England,  from  going  to  pro 
voke  his  fortune  in  a  strange  land. 

§  66.  Those  that  went  over  to  that  country  first,  were 
chiefly  single  men  who  had  not  the  incumbrance  of  wives 
and  children  in  England  ;  and  if  they  had,  they  did  not 


232  OF    THE    PEOPLE,    INHABITANTS    OF    VIRGINIA. 

expose  them  to  the  fatigue  and  hazard  of  so  long  a  voyage, 
until  they  saw  how  it  should  fare  with  themselves.  From 
hence  it  came  to  pass,  that  when  they  were  settled  there 
in  a  comfortable  way  of  subsisting  a  family,  they  grew  sen 
sible  of  the  misfortune  of  wanting  wives,  and  such  as  had 
left  wives  in  England  sent  for  them,  but  the  single  men 
were  put  to  their  shifts.  They  excepted  against  the  Indian 
women  on  account  of  their  being  pagans,  as  well  as  their 
complexions,  and  for  fear  they  should  conspire  with  those 
of  their  own  nation  to  destroy  their  husbands.  Under  this 
difficulty  they  had  no  hopes,  but  that  the  plenty  in  which 
they  lived  might  invite  modest  women,  of  small  fortunes, 
to  go  over  thither  from  England.  However,  they  would 
not  receive  any,  but  such  as  coulJ  carry  sufficient  certificate 
of  their  modesty  and  good  behavior.  Those,  if  they  were 
but  moderately  qualified  in  all  other  respects,  might  depend 
upon  marrying  very  well  in  those  days,  without  any  fortune. 
Kay,  the  first  planters  were  so  far  from  expecting  money 
with  a  woman,  that  'twas  a  common  thing  for  them  to  buy 
a  deserving  wife,  that  carried  good  testimonials  of  her  char 
acter,  at  the  price  of  one  hundred  pounds,  and  make 
themselves  believe  they  had  a  bargain. 

§  67.  But  this  way  of  peopling  the  colony  was  only 
at  first.  For  after  the  advantages  of  the  climate,  and  the 
fruitfulness  of  the  soil  were  well  known,  and  all  the  dan 
gers  incident  to  infant  settlements  were  over,  people  of 
better  condition  retired  thither  with  their  families,  either  to 
increase  the  estates  they  had  before,  or  else  to  avoid  being 
persecuted  for  their  principles  of  religion  or  government. 

Thus,  in  the  time  of  the  rebellion  in  England,  several 
good  cavalier  families  went  thither  with  their  effects,  to 
escape  the  tyranny  of  the  usurper,  or  acknowledgement  of 
his  title.  And  so  again,  upon  the  restoration,  many  people 
of  the  opposite  party  took  refuge  there,  to  shelter  themselves 
from  the  king's  resentment.  But  Virginia  had  not  many 
of  these  last,  because  that  country  was  famous  for  holding 
out  the  longest  for  the  royal  family,  of  any  of  the  English 


OF    THE    PEOPLE,    INHABITANTS    OF    VIRGINIA.  233 

dominions.  For  which  reason  the  Roundheads  went,  for  the 
most  part,  to  New  England,  as  did  most  of  those  that  in 
the  reign  of  King  Charles  II  were  molested  on  account  of 
their  religion,  though  some  of  these  fell  likewise  to  the 
share  of  Virginia.  As  for  malefactors  condemned  to  trans 
portation,  tho'  the  greedy  planter  will  always  buy  them, 
yet  it  is  to  be  feared  they  will  be  very  injurious  to  the 
country,  which  has  already  suffered  many  murders  and  rob 
beries,  the  effect  of  that  new  law  of  England. 
30 


CHAPTEE    XVI. 


OF     THE     BUILDINGS     OF     VIRGINIA. 

§  68.  There  are  three  fine  public  buildings  in  this  country, 
which  are  said  to  be  the  most  magnificent  of  any  in  the 
English  America  :  one  of  which  is  the  college  before  spoken 
of,  another  the  capitoi  or  state  house,  as  it  was  formerly 
called  ;  that  is,  the  house  for  convention  of  the  general 
assembly,  for  the  sitting  of  the  general  court,  for  the 
meeting  of  the  council,  and  for  keeping  of  their  several 
offices,  belonging  to  them. 

Not  far  from  this,  is  also  built  the  public  prison  of  the 
country  for  criminals,  which  is  a  large  and  convenient  struc 
ture,  with  partitions  for  the  different  sexes,  and  distinct 
rooms  for  petty  offenders.  To  this  is  also  annexed  a  con 
venient  yard  to  air  the  criminals  in,  for  the  preservation  of 
their  life  and  health,  till  the  time  of  their  trial  ;  and  at  the 
end  of  that,  another  prison  for  debtors. 

The  third  is  a  house  for  the  governor,  not  the  largest,  but 
by  far  the  most  beautiful  of  all  the  others.  It  was  granted 
by  the  assembly  in  Governor  Nott's  time,  begun  in  Presi 
dent  Jennings'  time,  but  received  its  beauty  and  coveniency 
for  the  many  alterations  and  decorations,  of  the  present 
governor,  Colonel  Spotswood  ;  who,  to  the  lasting  honor 
and  happiness  of  the  country,  arrived  there,  while  this  house 
was  carrying  up. 

In  his  time  was  also  built  a  new  brick  church,  and  brick 
magazine  for  arms  and  ammunition,  and  the  streets  of  the 
town  altered  from  the  fanciful  forms  of  Ws  and  Ms  to 
much  more  conveniences. 


OF   THE    BUILDINGS    OP   VIRGINIA.  235 

These  are  all  erected  at  Middle  plantation,  now  named 
Williarnsburg,  where  land  is  laid  out  for  a  town,  They 
all  are  built  of  brick,  and  covered  with  shingle,  except  the 
debtors'  prison  which  is  flat  roofed  anew  ;  a  very  useful 
invention  of  the  present  governor  also. 

§  69.  The  private  buildings  are  also  in  his  time  very 
much  improved,  several  gentlemen  there,  having  built  them- 
selves  large  brick  houses  of  many  rooms  on  a  floor ;  but 
they  don't  covet  to  make  them  lofty,  having  extent  enough  . 
of  ground  to  build  upon  ;  and  now  and  then  they  are 
visited  by  high  winds,  which  would  incommode  a  tower 
ing  fabric.  They  love  to  have  large  rooms,  that  they 
may  be  cool  in  summer.  Of  late  they  have  made  their  I 
stories  much  higher  than  formerly,  and  their  windows  larger, 
and  sashed  with  crystal  glass  ;  adorning  their  apartments 
with  rich  furniture. 

All  their  drudgeries  of  cookery,  washing,  daries,  &c., 
are  performed  in  offices  apart  from  the  dwelling  houses, 
which  by  this  means  are  kept  more  cool  and  sweet. 

Their  tobacco  houses  are  all  built  of  wood,  as  open  and 
airy  as  is  consistent  with  keeping  out  the  rain  ;  which 
sort  of  building  is  most  convenient  for  the  curing  of  their 
tobacco. 

Their  common  covering  for  dwelling  houses  is  shingle, 
which  is  an  oblong  square  of  cypress  or  pine  wood  ;  but 
they  cover  their  tobacco  houses  with  thin  clap  board  ;  and 
though  they  have  slate  enough  in  some  particular  parts  of  the 
country,  and  as  strong  clay  as  can  be  desired  for  making 
of  tile,  yet  they  have  very  few  tiled  houses  ;  neither  has 
any  one  yet  thought  it  worth  his  while  to  dig  up  the  slate, 
which  will  hardly  be  made  use  of,  till  the  carriage  there 
becomes  cheaper,  and  more  common  ;  the  slate  lying  far 
up  the  frontiers  above  water  carriage. 


CHAePT:ER    XVII 


OP     THE     EDIBLES,    POTABLES,    AND     FUEL    IN    VIRGINIA. 

§  70.  The  families  being  altogether  on  country  seats7 
they  have  ^  their  graziers,  seedsmen,  gardeners,  biewers,  ba 
kers,  butchers  and  cooks,  within  themselves.  They  have 
plenty  and  variety  of  provisions  for  their  table  ;  and  as  for 
spicery,  and  other  things  that  the  country  don't  produce, 
they  have  constant  supplies  of  them  from  England.  The 
gentry  pretend  to  have  their  victuals  t dressed,  and  served  up 
as  nicely,  as  if  they  were  in  London. 

§  71 .  When  I  come  to  speak  of  their  cattle,  I  can't  for 
bear  charging  my  countrymen  with  exceeding  ill  husbandry, 
in  not  providing  sufficiently  for  them  all  winter,  by  which 
means  they  starve  their  young  cattle,  or  at  least  stint  their 
growth  ;  so  that  they  seldom  or  never  grow  so  large  as 
they  would  do,  if  they  were  well  managed  ;  for  the  hu^ 
mor  is  there,  if  people  can  but  save  the  lives  of  their 
cattle,  though  they  suffer  them  to  be  never  so  poor  in  the 
winter,  yet  they  will  presently  grow  fat  again  in  the  spring, 
which  they  esteem  sufficient  for  their  purpose.  And  this 
is  the  occasion,  that  their  beef  and  mutton  are  seldom  or 
never  so  large,  or  so  fat  as  in  England.  And  yet  with  the 
least  feeding  imaginable,  they  are  put  into  as  good  case  as 
can  be  desired  ;  and  it  is  the  same  with  their  hogs. 

Their  fish  is  in  vast  plenty  and  variety,  and  extraordinary 
good  in  their  kind.  Beef  and  pork  are  commonly  sold 
there,  from  one  penny,  to  two  pence  the  pound,  or  more, 
according  to  the  time  of  year  ;  their  fattest  and  largest 
pullets  at  sixpence  a  piece  ;  their  capons  at  eight  pence  or 
nine  pence  a  piece  ;  their  chickens  at  three  or  four  shillings 


EDIBLES,    POTABLES,    AND    FUEL   IX    VIRGINIA.  237 

the  dozen  ;  their  ducks  at  eight  pence,  or  nine  pence  a 
piece  ;  their  geese  at  ten  pence  or  a  shilling  ;  their  turkey 
hens  at  fifteen  or  eighteen  pence  ;  and  their  turkey  cocks 
at  two  shillings  or  half  a  crown.  But  oysters  and  wild 
fowl  are  not  so  dear,  asj'the  things  I  have  reckoned  before, 
being  in  their  season  the  cheapest  victuals  they  have.  Their 
deer  are  commonly  sold  from  five  to^ten  shillings,  according 
to  the  scarcity  and  goodness. 

§  72.  The  bread  in  gentlemen's  houses  is  generally 
made  of  wheat,  but  some  rather  choose  the  pone,  which 
is  the  bread  made  of  Indian  meal.  Many  of  the  poorer 
sort  of  people  so  little  regard  the  English  grain,  that 
though  they  might  have  it  with  the  least  trouble  in  the 
world,  yet  they  don't  mind  to  sow  the  ground,  because 
they  won't  be  at  the  trouble  of  making  a  fence  particu 
larly  for  it.  And,  therefore,  their  constant  bread  is  pone, 
not  so  called  from  the  Latin  panis,  but  from  the  Indian 
name  oppone.  f 

§  73.  A  kitchen  garden  don't  thrive  better  or  faster  in 
any  part  of  the  universe  than  there.  They  have  all  the 
culinary  plants  that  grow  in  England,  and  in  greater  per 
fection  than  in  England.  Besides  these,  they  have  seve 
ral  roots,  herbs,  vine  fruits,  and  sallad  flowers  peculiar  to 
themselves,  most  of  which  will  neither  increase  nor  grow 
to  perfection  in  England.  These  they  dish  up  various 
ways,  and  find  them  very  delicious  sauce  to  their  meats, 
both  roast  and  boiled,  fresh  and  salt  j  such  are  the  In 
dian  cresses,  red  buds,  sassafras  flowers,  cymlings,  melons 
and  potatoes,  whereof  I  have  spoken  at  large  in  the 
4th  chapter  of  the  second  book,  section  20. 

It  is  said  of  New  England,  that  several  plants  will  not 
grow  there,  which  thrive  well  in  England  ;  such  as  rue, 
southernwood,  rosemary,  bays  and  lavender  ;  and  that  others 
degenerate,  and  will  not  continue  above  a  year  or  two  at 
the  most  ;  such  are  July  flowers,  fennel,  enula  campana, 
clary  and  bloodwort.  But  I  don't  know  any  English 
plant,  grain  or  fruit, 'that  miscarries  in  "Virgin ia  ;  but  inosf 


238  EDIBLES,    POTABLES,    AND    FUEL   IN   VIRGINIA. 

of  them  better  their  kinds  very  much  by  being  sowed  or 
planted  there.  It  was  formerly  said  of  the  red  top  turnip, 
that  there,  in  three  or  four,  years  time,  it  degenerated  into 
rape ;  but  that  happened  merely  by  an  error  in  saving 
the  seed  j  for  now  it  appears  that  if  they  cut  off  the  top 
of  such  a  turnip,  that  has  been  kept  out  of  the  ground 
all  the  winter,  and  plant  that  top  alone  without  the  body 
of  the  root,  it  yields  a  seed  which  mends  the  turnip  in 
the  next  sowing. 

§  74.  Their  small  drink  is  either  wine  and  water,  beer, 
milk  and  water,  or  water  alone.  Their  richer  sort  gene 
rally  brew  their  small  beer  with  malt,  which  they  have 
from  England,  though  barley  grows  there  very  well  ;  but 
for  want  of  the  convenience  of  malthouses,  the  inhabitants 
take  no  care  to  sow  it.  The  poorer  sort  brew  their  beer 
with  molasses  and  bran  ;  with  Indian  corn  malted  by  dry 
ing  in  a  stove ;  with  persimmons  dried  in  cakes,  and 
baked  -y  with  potatoes  ;  with  the  green  stalks  of  Indian  corn 
cut  small,  and  bruised  ;  with  pompions,  and  with  the 
batates  canadensis,  or  Jerusalem  artichoke,  which  some 
people  plant  purposely  for  that  use  ;  but  this  is  the  least 
esteemed  of  all  the  sorts  before  mentioned. 

Their  strong  drink  is  Madeira  wine,  cider,  mobby  punch, 
made  either  of  rum  from  the  Caribbee  islands,  'or  brandy 
distilled  from  their  apples  and  peaches ;  besides  brandy, 
wine,  and  strong  beer,  which  they  have  constantly  from 
England. 

§  75.  Their  fuel  is  altogether  wood,  which  every  man 
burns  at  pleasure,  it  being  no  other  charge  to  him  than 
the  cutting  and  carrying  it  home.  In  all  new  grounds  it 
is  such  an  incumbrance,  that  they  are  forced  to  burn  great 
heaps  of  it  to  rid  the  land.  They  have  very  good  pit 
coal  (as  is  formerly  mentioned)  in  several  places  of  the 
country  ;  but  no  man  has  yet  thought  it  worth  his  while 
to  make  use  of  them,  having  wood  in  plenty,  and  lying 
more  convenient  for  him. 


CHAPTER    XVII  I. 


OF     THE    CLOTHING    IN    VIRGINIA. 

§  76.  They  have  their  clothing  of  all  sorts  from  England  ; 
as  linen,  woollen,  silk,  hats  and  leather.  Yet  flax  and 
hemp  grow  no  where  in  the  world  better  than  there. 
Their  sheep  yield  good  increase,  and  bear  good  fleeces  ; 
but  they  shear  them  only  to  cool  them.  The  mulberry 
tree,  whose  leaf  is  the  proper  food  of  the  silk  worm, 
grows  there  like  a  weed,  and  silk  worms  have  been  ob 
served  to  thrive  extremely,  and  without  any  hazard.  The 
very  furs  that  their  hats  are  made  of  perhaps  go  first 
from  thence  ;  and  most  of  their  hides  lie  and  rot,  or  are 
made  use  of  only  for  covering  dry  goods  in  a  leaky  'house. 
Indeed,  some  few  hides  with  much  ado  are  tanned  and 
made  into  servants'  shoes,  but  at  so  careless  a  rate,  that 
the  planters  don't  care  to  buy  them  if  they  can  get  others; 
and  sometimes  perhaps  a  better  manager  than  ordinary  will 
vouchsafe  to  make  a  pair  of  breeches  of  a  deerskin.  Nay, 
they  are  such  abominable  ill  husbands,  that  though  their 
country  be  overrun  with  wood,  yet  they  have  all  their 
wooden  ware  from  England  ;  their  cabinets,  chairs,  tables, 
stools,  chests,  boxes,  cart  wheels,  and  all  other  things, 
even  so  much  as  their  bowls  and  birchen  brooms,  to  the 
eternal  reproach  of  their  laziness. 


CHAP TEE    XIX. 


OP    THE    TEMPERATURE    OF     THE    CLIMATE,    AND    THE    INCON- 
VENIENCIES    ATTENDING   IT. 


77.  The  natural  temperature  of  the  inhabited  part  of  the 
country  is  hot  and  moist,  though  this  moisture  I  take  to 
be  occasioned  by  the  abundance  of  low  grounds,  marshes, 
creeks  and  rivers,  which  are  everywhere  among  their 
lower  settlements  ;  but  more  backward  in  the  woods,  where 
they  are  now  seating,  and  making  new  plantations,  they 
have  abundance  of  high  and  dry  land,  where  there  are 
only  crystal  streams  of  water,  which  flow  gently  from  their 
springs  in  innumerable  branches  to  moisten  and  enrich 
the  adjacent  lands,  and  where  a  fog  is  rarely  seen. 

§  78.  The  country  is  in  a  very  happy  situation,  be 
tween  the  extremes  of  heat  and  cold,  but  inclining  rather 
to  the  first.  Certainly  it  must  be  a  happy  climate,  since 
it  is  very  near  of  the  same  latitude  with  the  land  of  pro 
mise.  Besides,  as  the  land  of  promise  was  full  of  rivers 
and  branches  of  rivers,  so  is  Virginia.  As  that  was  seated 
upon  a  great  bay  and  sea,  wherein  were  all  the  conve- 
niencies  for  shipping  and  trade,  so  is  Virginia.  Had  that 
fertility  of  soil  ?  So  has  Virginia,  equal  to  any  land  in  the 
known  world.  In  fine,  if  any  one  impartially  considers  all 
the  advantages  of  this  country,  as  nature  made  it,  he  must 
allow  it  to^be  as  fine  a  place  as  any  in  the  universe  f  but 
I  confess  I  am  ashamed  to  say  any  thing  of  its  improve 
ments,  because  I  must  at  the  same  time  reproach  my  coun 
trymen  with  unpardonable  sloth.  If  there  be  any  excuse 
for  them  in  this  matter,  'tis  the  exceeding  plenty  of  good 
things  with  which  nature  has  blest  them  ;  for  where  God 


TEMPERATURE    OF    THE    CLIMATE.  241 

Almighty  is  so  merciful  as  to  give  plenty  and   ease,  people 
easily  forget  their  duty. 

All  the  countries  in  the  world,  seated  in  or  near  the  lati 
tude  of  Virginia,  are  esteemed  the  fruitfullest  and  plea- 
santest  of  ail  climates.  As  for  example,  Canaan,  Syria, 
Persia,  great  part  of  India,  China  and  Japan,  the  Morea, 
Spain,  Portugal,  and  the  coast  of  Barbaiy,  none  of  which 
differ  many  degrees  of  latitude  from  Virginia.  These  are 
reckoned  the  gardens  of  the  world,  while  Virginia  is  un 
justly  neglected  by  its  own  inhabitants,  and  abused  by  other 
people. 

§  79.  That  which  makes  this  country  most  unfortunate,  is. 
that  it  must  submit  to  receive  its  character  from  the  month? 
not  only  of  unfit,  but  very  unequal  judges  ;  for  all  its  re 
proaches  happen  after  this  manner. 

Many  of  the  merchants  arid  others,  that  go  thither  from 
England,  make  no  distinction  between  a  cold  and  hot  coun 
try  •  but  wisely  go  sweltering  about  in  their  thick  clothes 
all  the  summer,  because  forsooth  they  used  to  do  so  in  their 
northern  climate ;  and  then  unfairly  complain  of  the  heat 
of  the  country.  They  greedily  surfeit  with  their  delicious 
fruits,  and  are  guilty  of  great  imternperance  therein,  through 
the  exceeding  plenty  thereof,  and  liberty  given  by  the  in 
habitants  ;  by  which  means  they  fall  sick,  and  then  unjustly 
complain  of  the  unhealthiness  of  the  countiy.  In  the  next 
place,  the  sailors  for  want  of  towns  there,  were  put  to  the 
hardship  of  rolling  most  of  the  tobacco,  a  mile  or  more,  to 
the  water  side  ;  this  splinters  their  hands  sometimes,  and 
provokes  them  to  curse  the  country.  Such  exercise  and  a 
bright  sun  made  them  hot,  and  then  they  imprudently  fell 
to  drinking  cold  water,  or  perhaps  new  cider,  which,  in  its 
season  they  found  in  every  planter's  house  ;  or  else  they 
greedily  devour  the  green  fruit,  and  unripe  trash  they  met 
with,  and  so  fell  into  fluxes,  fevers,  and  the  belly  ache  ; 
and  then,  to  spare  their  own  indiscretion,  they  in  their  tar 
paulin  language,  cry,  God  d in  the  country.  This  is 

the  true  state  of  the  case,  as  to  the  complaints  of   its  being 

31 


242  TEMPERATURE    OF    THE    CLIMATE. 

sickly  ;  for,  by  the  most  impartial  observation  I  can  make, 
if  people  will  be  persuaded  to  be  temperate,  and  take  due 
care  of  themselves,  I  believe  it  is  as  healthy  a  country  as 
any  under  heaven  :  but  the  extraordinary  pleasantness  of  the 
weather,  and  plenty  of  the  fruit,  lead  people  into  many 
temptations.  The  clearness  and  brightness  of  the  sky,  add 
new  vigor  to  their  spirits,  and  perfectly  remove  all  splenetic 
and  sullen  thoughts.  Here  they  enjoy  all  the  benefits  of  a 
warm  sun,  and  by  their  shady  trees  are  protected  from  its 
inconvenience.  Here  all  their  senses  are  entertained  with 
an  endless  succession  of  native  pleasures.  Their '  eyes  are 
ravished  with  the  beauties  of  naked  nature.  Their  ears  are 
serenaded  with  the  perpetual  murmur  of  brooks,  and  the 
thorough-base  which  the  wind  plays,  when  it  wantons 
through  the  trees  ;  the  merry  birds  too,  join  their  pleasing 
notes  to  this  rural  comfort,  especially  the  mock  birds,  who 
love  society  so  well,  that  often  when  they  see  mankind, 
they  will  perch  upon  a  twig  very  near  them,  and  sing  the 
sweetest  wild  airs  in  the  world.  But  what  is  most  remarka 
ble  in  these  melodious  animals,  if  they  see  a  man  take  no 
tice  of  them,  they  will  frequently  fly  at  small  distances, 
warbling  out  their  notes  from  perch  to  perch,  be  it  house  or 
tree  convenient,  and  sometimes-  too  fly  up,  to  light  on  the 
same  again,  and  by  their  music  make  a  man  forget  the 
fatigues  of  his  mind.  Men's  taste  is  regaled  with  the  most 
delicious  fruits,  which,  without  art,  they  have  in  great  va 
riety  and  perfection.  And  then  their  srnell  is  refreshed  with 
an  eternal  fragrancy  of  flowers  and  sweets,  with  which  na 
ture  perfumes  and  adorns  the  woods  and  branches  almost 
the  whole  year  round. 

Have  you  pleasure  in  a  garden  ?  All  things  thrive  in  it 
most  surprisingly  ;  you  can't  walk  by  a  bed  of  flowers,  but 
besides  the  entertainment  of  their  beauty,  your  eyes  will  be 
saluted  wilh  the  charming  colors  and  curiosity  of  the  hum 
ming  bird,  which  revels  among  the  flowers,  and  licks  off 
<he  dew  and  honey  from  their  tender  leave?,  on  which  it 
only  feeds.  Its  size  is  not  half  so  large  as  an  English 


TEMPERATURE    OF    THE    CLIMATE.  243 

wren,  and  its  color  is  a  glorious  shining  mixture  of  scarlet^    \1 
green  and  gold.  * 

§  SO.  On  the  other  side,  all  the  annoyances  and  inconve 
niences  of  the  country  may  fairly  be  summed  up,  under 
these  three  heads,  thunder,  heat,  and  troublesome  vermin. 

I  confess,  in  the  hottest  part  of  the  summer,  they  have 
sometimes  very  loud  and  surprising  thunder,  but  rarely  any 
damage  happens  by  it.  On  the  contrary,  it  is  of  such  ad 
vantage  to  the  cooling  and  refining  of  the  air,  that  it  is 
oftener  wished  for  than  feared.  But  they  have  no  earth 
quakes,  which  the  Caribbee  islands  are  so  much  troubled 
with. 

Their  heat  is  very  seldom  troublesome,  and  then  only  by 
the  accident  of  a  perfect  cairn,  which  happens  perhaps  two 
or  three  times  in  a  year,  and  lasts  but  a  few  hours  at  a 
time ;  and  even  that  inconvenience  is  made  easy  by  cool 
shades,  open  airy  rooms,  summer  houses,  arbors,  and  grot 
tos  :  but  the  spiing  and  fall  afford  as  pleasant  weather  as 
Mahomet  promised  in  his  paradise. 

All  the  troublesome  vermin  that  ever  I  heard  anybody 
complain  of,  are  either  frogs,  snakes,  musquitoes,  chinches, 
seed  ticks,  or  red  worms,  by  some  called  potato  lice.  Of 
all  which  I  shall  give  an  account  in  their  order. 

Some  people  have  been  so  ill  informed,  as  to  say,  that 
Virginia  is  full  of  toads,  though  there  never  yet  was  seen 
one  toad  in  it.  The  marshes,  fens,  and  watery  grounds,  are 
indeed  full  of  harmless  frogs  which  do  no  hurt,  except  by 
the  noise  of  their  croaking  notes  :  but  in  the  upper  parts  of 
the  country,  where  the  land  is  high  and  dry,  they  are  very 
scarce.  In  these  swamps  and  running  streams,  they  have 
frogs  of  an  incredible  bigness,  which  are  called  bull  frogs, 
from  the  roaring  they  make.  Last  year  I  found  one  of 
these  near  a  stream  of  fresh  water,  of  so  prodigious  a  mag 
nitude,  that  when  I  extended  its  legs,  I  found  the  distance 
betwixt  them  to  be  seventeen  inches  and  an  half.  If  any 
are  good  to  eat,  these  must  be  the  kind. 

Some  people  in   England   are   startled   at  the  very  name 


244  TEMPERATURE    OF   THE    CLIMATE. 

of  the  rattle  snake,  and  fancy  every  corner  of  that  province 
so  much  pestered  with  them,  that  a  man  goes  in  constant 
danger  of  his  life,  that  walks  abroad  in  the  woods.  But  this 
is  as  gross  a  mistake,  as  most  of  the  other  ill  reporls  of  that 
country.  For  in  the  first  place  this  snake  is  very  rarely 
seen  ;  and  when  that  happens,  it  never  does  the  least  mis 
chief,  unless  you  offer  to  disturb  it,  and  thereby  provoke 
it  to  bite  in  its  own  defence.  But  it  never  fails  to  give 
you  fair  warning,  by  making  a  noise  with  its  rattle,  which 
may  be  heard  at  a  convenient  distance.  For  my  own  part 
I  have  traveled  the  country  as  much  as  any  man  in  it 
of  my  age,  by  night  and  by  day,  above  the  inhabitants, 
well  as  among  them  ;  and  yet  before  the  first  impression 
of  this  book  I  had  never  seen  a  rattle  snake  alive,  and  at 
liberty,  in  all  my  life^.  I  had  seen  them  indeed  after  they 
had  been  killed,  or  pent  up  in  boxes  to  be  sent  to  England. 
The  bite  of  this  viper  without  some  immediate  application 
is  certainly  death ;  but  remedies  are  so  well  known,  that 
none  of  their  servants  are  ignorant  of  them.  I  never  knew 
any  killed  by  these,  or  any  other  of  their  snakes,  although 
I  had  a  general  knowledge  all  over  the  country,  and  had 
been  in  every  part  of  it.  They  have  several  other  snakes 
which  are  seen  more  frequently,  and  have  very  little  or  no 
hurt  in  them,  viz :  such  as  they  call  black  snakes,  water 
snakes,  and  corn  snakes.  The  black  viper  snake,  and  the 
copper-bellied  snake,  are  said  to  be  as  venomous  as  the 
rattle  snake,  but  they  are  as  seldom  seen  ;  these  three  poi 
sonous  snakes  bring  forth  their  young  alive,  whereas  the 
other  three  sorts  lay  eggs,  which  are  hatched  afterwards  ; 
and  that  is  the  distinction  they  make,  esteeming  only  those 
to  be  venomous,  which  are  viviparous.  They  have  like 
wise  the  horn  snake,  so  called  from  a  sharp  horn  it  carries 
in  its  tail,  with  which  it  assaults  anything  that  offends  it, 
with  that  force,  that  as  it  is  said  it  will  strike  its  tail  into 
the  butt  end  of  a  musket,  from  which  it  is  not  able  to 
disengage  itself. 

All  sorts  of   snakes  will   charm   both   birds  and   squirrels, 


TEMPERATURE    OF    THE    CLIMATE.  245 

and  the  Indians  pretend  to  charm  them.  Several  persons 
have  seen  squirrels  run  down  a  tree  directly  into  a  snake's 
mouth  ;  they  have  likewise  seen  birds  fluttering  up  and 
down,  and  chattering  at  these  snakes,  till  at  last  they  have 
dropped  down  just  before  them. 

In  the  end  of  May,  1715,  stopping  at  an  orchard  by  the 
road  side  to  get  some  cherries,  being  three  of  us  in  company, 
we  were  entertained  with  the  whole  process  of  a  charm 
between  a  rattle  snake  and  a  hare,  the  hare  being  better 
than  half  grown.  It  happened  thus  :  one  of  the  company 
in  his  search  for  the  best  cherries  espied  the  hare  sitting, 
and  although  he  went  close  by  her  she  did  not  move,  till 
he.  (not  suspecting  the  occasion  of  her  gentleness.)  gave  her 
a  lash  with  his  whip  ;  this  made  her  run  about  ten  feet, 
and  there  sit  down  again.  The  gentleman  not  finding  the 
cherries  ripe,  immediately  returned  the  same  way,  and  near 
the  place  where  he  struck  the  hare,  he  spied  a  rattle  snake  ; 
still  not  suspecting  the  charm,  he  goes  back  about  twenty 
yards  to  a  hedge  to  get  a  stick  to  kill  the  snake,  and  at  his 
return  found  the  snake  removed,  and  coiled  in  the  same 
place  from  whence  he  had  moved  the  hare.  This  put  him 
into  immediate  thoughts  of  looking  for  the  hare  again,  and 
he  soon  spied  her  about  ten  feet  off  the  snake,  in  the  same 
place  to  which  she  had  started  when  he  whipt  her.  She 
was  now  lying  down,  but  would  sometimes  raise  herself 
on  her  fore  feet  struggling  as  it  were  for  life  or  to  get  away, 
but  could  never  raise  her  hinder  parts  from  the  ground, 
and  then  would  fall  flat  on  her  side  again,  panting  vehe 
mently.  In  this  condition  the  hare  and  snake  were  when 
he  called  me ;  and  though  we  all  three  came  up  within 
fifteen  feet  of  the  snake  to  have  a  full  view  of  the  whole, 
he  took  no  notice  at  all  of  us,  nor  so  much  as  gave  a  glance 
towards  us.  There  we  stood  at  least  half  an  hour,  the 
snake  not  altering  a  jot,  but  the  haie  often  struggling  and 
falling  on  its  side  again,  till  at  last  the  hare  lay  still  as 
dead  for  some  time.  Then  the  snake  moved  out  of  his 
coil,  and  slid  gently  and  smoothly  on  towards  the  hare, 


246  TEMPERATURE    OF    THE    CLIMATE. 

his  colors  at  that  instant  being  ten  times  more  glorious  and 
shining  than  at  other  times.  As  the  snake  moved  along, 
the  hare  happened  to  fetch  another  struggle,  upon  which 
the  snake  made  a  stop,  laying  at  his  length,  till  the  hare 
had  lain  quiet  again  for  a  short  space  •  and  then  he  ad 
vanced  again  till  he  came  up  to  the  hinder  parts  of  the 
hare,  which  in  all  this  operation  had  been  towards  the 
snake  ;  there  he  made  a  survey  all  over  the  hare,  raising 
part  of  his  body  above  it,  then  turned  off  and  went  to 
the  head  and  nose  of  the  hare,  after  that  to  the  ears, 
took  the  ears  in  his  mouth  one  after  the  other,  working; 

*  & 

each  apart  in  his  mouth  as  a  man  does  a  wafer  to  moisten 
it,  then  returned  to  the  nose  again,  and  took  the  face  into 
his  mouth,  straining  and  gathering  his  lips  sometimes  by 
one  side  of  his  mouth,  sometimes  by  the  other ;  at  the 
shoulders  he  was  a  long  time  puzzled,  often  hauling  and 
stretching  the  hare  out  at  length,  and  straining  forward  first 
one  side  of  his  mouth  then  the  other,  till  at  last  he  got 
the  whole  body  into  his  throat.  Then  we  went  to  him, 
and  taking  the  twist  f>and  off  from  my  hat,  I  made  a  noose 
and  put  it  about  his  neck.  This  made  him  at  length  very 
furious,  but  we  having  secured  him,  put  him  into  one  end 
of  a  wallet,  and  carried  him  on  horseback  five  miles  to  Mr. 
John.  Baylor's  house,  where  we  lodged  that  night,  with  a 
design  to  have  sent  him  to  Dr.  Cock,  at  Williamsburg  ; 
but  Mr.  Baylor  was  so  careful  of  his  slaves  that  he  would 
not  let  him  be  put  into  his  boat,  for  fear  he  should  get 
loose  and  mischief  them  ;  therefore,  the  next  mornir  g  we 
killed  him,  and  took  the  hare  out  of  his  belly.  xThe  head 
of  the  hare  began  to  be  digested  and  the  hair  falling  off, 
having  lain  about  eighteen  hours  in  the  snake's  belly. 

I  thought  this  account  of  such  a  curiosity  would  be  ac 
ceptable,  and  the  rather  because  though  I  lived  in  a  country 
where  such  things  are  said  frequency  to  happen,  yet  I 
never  could  have  any  satisfactory  account  of  a  charm, 
though  I  have  met  with  several  persons  who  have  pre 
tended  to  have  seen  them.  Some  also  pretend  that  those 


TEMPERATURE    OF    THE    CLIMATE.  247 

sort  of  snakes  influence  children,  and  even  men  and  women, 
by  their  charms.  But  this  that  I  have  related  of  my  own 
view,  I  aver,  (for  the  satisfaction  of  the  learned,)  to  be 
punctually  true,  without  enlarging  or  wavering  in  any  re 
spect,  upon  the  faith  of  a  Christian. 

In  my  youth  1  was  a  bear  hunting  in  the  woods  above 
the  inhabitants,  arid  having  straggled  from  my  companions, 
I  was  entertained  at  my  return,  with  the  relation  of  a 
pleasant  "rencounter,  between  a  dog  and  u  rattle  snake,  about 
a  squirrel.  The  snake  had  got  the  head  and  shoulders  of 
the  squirrel  into  his  mouth,  which  being  something  too 
large  for  his  throat,  it  took  him  up  some  time  to  moisten  the 
fur  of  the  squirrel  with  his  spawl,  to  make  it  slip  down. 
The  dog  took  this  advantage,  seized  the  hinder  parts  of 
the  squirrel,  and  tugged  with  all  his  might.  The  snake, 
on  the  other  side,  would  not  let  go  his  hold  for  a  long 
time,  till  at  last,  fearing  he  might  be  bruised  by  the  dog's 
running  away  with  him,  he  gave  up  his  prey  to  the  dog. 
The  dog  eat  the  squirrel,  and  felt  no  harm. 

Another  curiosity  concerning  this  viper,  which  I  never 
met  with  in  print,  I  will  also  relate  from  my  own  obser 
vation  : 

Sometime  after  my  observation  of  the  charm,  my  wait 
ing  boy  being  sent  abroad  on  an  errand,  also  took  upon 
himself  to  'bring  home  a  rattle  snake  in  a  noose.  I  cut  off 
the  head  of  this  snake,  leaving  about  an  inch  of  the  neck 
with  it.  This  I  laid  upon  the  head  of  a  tobacco  hogshead, 
one  Stephen  Lankford,  a  carpenter,  now  alive,  being  with 
me.  Now  you  must  note  that  these  snakes  have  but  two 
teeth,  by  which  they  convey  their  poison  ;  and  they  are 
placed  in  the  upper  jaw,  pretty  forward  in  the  mouth,  one 
on  each  side.  These  teeth  are  hollow  and  crooked  like  a 
cock's  spur.  They  are  also  loose  or  springing  in  the 
mouth,  and  not  fastened  in  the  jaw  bone  as  all  other  teeth 
are.  The  hollow  has  a  vent,  also,  through  by  a  small  hole 
a  little  below  the  point  of  the  tooth.  These  two  teeth  are 
kept  lying  down  along  the  jaw,  or  shut  like  a  spring  knife, 


248  TEMPERATURE    OF   THE    CLIMATE. 

and  dont  shrink  up  as  the  talons  of  a  cat  or  panther. 
They  have  also  over  them  a  loose  thin  film  or  skin  of  a 
flesh  color,  which  rises  over  them  when  they  are  raisec, 
which  I  take  to  he  only  at  the  will  of  the  snake  to  do 
injury.  This  skin  does  not  break  by  the  rising  of  the 
tooth  only,  but  keeps  whole  till  the  bite  is  given,  and  then 
is  pierced  by  the  tooth,  by  which  the  poison  is  let  out. 
The  head  being  laid  upon  the  hogshead,  I  took  two  little 
twigs  or  splinters  of  sticks,  and  having  turned  the  head  upon 
its  crown,  opened  the  mouth,  and  lifted  up  I  he  fang  or 
springing  tooth  on  one  side  several  times,  in  doing  of  which 
I  at  last  broke  the  skin.  The  head  gave  a  sudden  champ 
with  its  mouth,  breaking  from  my  sticks,  in  which  I  obser 
ved  that  the  poison  ran  down  in  a  lump  like  oil,  round  the 
root  of  the  tooth.  Then  I  turned  the  other  side  of  the 
head;  and  lesolved  to  be  more  careful  to  keep  the  mouth 
open  on  the  like  occasion,  and  observe  more  narrowly  the 
consequence.  For  it  is  observed,  that  though  the  heads  of 
snakes,  terrapins  and  such  like  vermin,  be  cut  off,  yet  the 
body  will  not  die  in  a  long  time  after — the  general  saying 
is,  till  the  sun  sets.  After  opening  the  mouth  on  the  other 
side,  and  lifting  up  that  fang  also  several  times,  he  endeav 
ored  to  give  another  bite  or  champ  ;  but  I  kept  his  mouth 
open,  and  the  tooth  pierced  the  film  and  emitted  a  stream 
like  one  full  of  blood  in  blood  letting,  and  cast  some  drops 
upon  the  sleeve  of  the  carpenter's  shirt,  who  had  no  waist 
coat  on.  I  advised  him  to  pull  off  his  shirt,  but  he  would 
not,  and  received  no  harm  ;  and  tho'  nothing  could  then  be 
seen  of  it  upon  the  shirt,  yet  in  washing  there  appeared 
five  green  specks,  which  every  washing  appeared  plainer  and 
plainer,  and  lasted  so  long  as  the  shirt  did,  which  the  car 
penter  told  me  was  about  three  years  after.  The  head  we 
threw  afterwards  down  upon  the  ground,  and  a  sow  came 
and  eat  it  before  our  faces,  and  received  no  harm.  Now 
I  believe  had  this  poison  lighted  upon  any  place  of  the 
carpenter's  skin  that  was  scratched  or  hurt,  it  might  have 
poisoned  him.  I  take  the  poison  to  rest  in  a  small  bag  or 


TEMPERATURE     OP    THE    CLIMATE. 


249 


receptacle,  in  the  hollow  at  the  root  of  these  teeth  ;  but 
I  never  had  the  opportunity  afterwards  to  make  a  farther 
discovery  of  that. 

I  will  likewise  give  you  a  story  of  the  violent  effects  of 
this  sort  of  poison,  because  I  depend  upon  the  tiuth  of  it, 
having  it  from  an  acquaintance  of  mine  of  good  credit,  one 
Colonel  James  Taylor,  of  Mattapony,  still  alive,  he  being 
with  others  in  the  woods  a  surveying.  Just  as  they  were 
standing  to  light  their  pipes,  they  found  a  rattle  snake  and 
cut  off  his  head,  and  about  three  inches  of  the  body. 
Then  he,  with  a  green  stick  which  he  had  in  his  hand, 
about  a  foot  and  a  half  long,  the  bark  being  newly  peeled 
off,  urged  and  provoked  the  head,  till  it  bit  the  stick  in 
fury  several  times.  Upon  this  the  colonel  observed  small 
green  streaks  to  rise  up  along  the  stick  towards  his  hand. 
He  threw  the  stick  upon  the  ground,  and  in  a  quarter  of 
hour  the  stick  of  its  own  accord  split  'into  several  pieces, 
and  fell  asunder  from  end  to  end.  This  account  I  had 
from  him  again  at  the  writing  hereof. 

Musquitoes  are  a  sort  of  vermin  of  less  danger,  but  much 
more  troublesome,  because  more  frequent.  They  are  a 
long  tailed  gnat,  such  as  are  in  all  fens  and  low  grounds 
in  England,  and  I  think  have  no  other  difference  from 
them  than  the  name.  Neither  are  they  in  Virginia  troubled 
with  them  anywhere  but  in  their  low  grounds  and  marshes. 
These  insects  I  believe  are  stronger,  and  continue  longer 
there,  by  reason  of  the  warm  sun,  than  in  England.  Who 
ever  is  persecuted  with  them  in  his  house,  may  get  rid  of 
them  by  this  easy  remedy  :  let  him  but  set  open  his  windows 
at  sunset,  and  shut  them  again  before  the  twilight  be  quite 
shut  in.  All  the  musquitoes  in  the  room  will  go  out  at  the 
windows,  and  leave  the  room  clear. 

Chinches  are  a  sort  of  flat  bug,  which  lurks  in  the  bed 
steads  and  bedding,  and  disturbs  people's  rest  av  nights. 
Eveiy  neat  housewife  contrives  there,  by  several  devices, 
to  keep  her  beds  clear  of  them.  But  the  best  way  I  ever 
heard,  effectually  to  destroy  them,  is  by  a  narrow  search 
32 


£50  TEMPERATURE    OP   THE    CLIMATE. 

among  the  bedding  early  in  the  spring,  before  these  veimin 
begin  to  nit  and  run  about  ;  for  they  lie  snug  all  the  win 
ter,  and  are  in  the  spring  large  and  full  of  the  winter's 
growth,  having  all  their  seed  within  them  ;  and  so  they 
become  a  fair  mark  to  find,  and  may  with  their  whole 
breed  be  destroyed  ;  they  are  the  same  as  they  have  in 
London  near  the  shipping, 

Seed  tick,  and  red  worms  are  small  insects,  that  annoy 
the  people  by  day,  as  musquitoes  and  chinches  do  by  night ; 
but  both  these  keep  out  of  your  way,  if  you  keep  out  of 
theirs  ;  for  seed  ticks  are  no  where  to  be  met  with,  but 
in  the  track  of  cattle,  upon  which  the  great  ticks  fatten, 
and  fill  their  skins  so  full  of  blood,  that  they  drop  off, 
and  wherever  they  happen  to  fall,  they  produce  a  kind  of 
egg,  which  lies  about  a  fortnight  before  the  seedlings  are 
hatched.  These  seedlings  run  in  swarms  up  the  next 
blade  of  grass  that  lies  in  their  way  ;  and  then  the  first 
thing  that  brushes  that  blade  of  grass,  gathers  off  most  of 
these  vermin,  which  stick  like  burs  upon  anything  that 
touches  them.  They  void  their  eggs  at  the  mouth. 

Red  worms  lie  only  in  old  dead  trees,  and  rotten  logs ; 
and  without  sitting  down  upon  such,  a  man  never  meets 
with  them,  nor  at  any  other  season,  but  only  in  the  midst 
of  summer.  A  little  warm  water  immediately  brings  off 
both  seed  ticks  and  red  worms,  though  they  lie  ever  so 
thick  upon  any  part  of  the  body.  But  without  some  such 
remedy  they  will  be  troublesome ;  for  they  are  so  small 
{hat  nothing  will  lay  hold  of  them,  but  the  point  of  a 
penknife,  needle,  or  such  like.  But  if  nothing  be  done 
to  remove  them,  the  itching  they  occasion  goes  away  after 
two  days. 

§  81.  Their  winters  are  very  short,  and  don't  continue 
above  three  or  four  months,  of  which  they  have  seldom 
thirty  days  of  unpleasant  weather,  all  the  rest  being  blest 
with  a  clear  air,  and  a  bright  sun.  However,  they  have 
very  hard  frost  sometimes,  but  it  rarely  lasts  above  three 
or  four  days,  that  is,  till  the  wind  change  :  for  if  it  blow 


TEMPERATURE    OF    THE     CLIMATE.  251 

not  between  the  north  and  north-west  points,  from  the  cold 
Apalachian  mountains,  they  have  no  frost  at  all.  But  these 
frosts  are  attended  with  a  serene  sky,  and  are  otherwise 
made  delightful  by  the  tameness  of  the  wild  fowl  and 
other  game,  which  by  their  incredible  number,,  afford  the 
pleasantest  shooting  in  the  world. 

Their  rains,  except  in  the  depth  of  winter,  are  extremely 
agreeable  and  refreshing.  All  the  summer  long  they  last 
but  a  few  hours  at  a  time,  and  sometimes  not  above  half 
an  hour,  and  then  immediately  succeeds  clear  sunshine 
again.  But  in  that  short  time  it  rains  so  powerfully,  that 
it  quits  the  debt  of  a  long  drought,  and  makes  everything 
green  and  gay.  / 

I  have  heard  that  this  country  is  reproached  with  sudden 
and  dangerous  changes  of  weather,  but  that  imputation  is 
unjust  ;  for  tho'  it  be  true,  that  in  the  winter,  when  the 
wind  comes  over  those  vast  mountains  and  lakes  to  the 
north-west,  which  are  supposed  to  retain  vast  magazines 
of  ice,  and  snow,  the  weather  is  then  very  rigorous ;  yet 
in  spring,  summer  and  autumn,  such  winds  are  only  cool 
and  pleasant  breezes,  which  serve  to  refresh  the  air;  and 
correct  those  excesses  of  heat,  which  the  situation  would 
otherwise  make  that  country  liable  to. 


CHAPTBE   XX. 


OP    THE    DISEASES    INCIDENT    TO    VIRGINIA. 

^  $2.  While  we  are  upon  the  climate,  and  its  accidents, 
it  will  not  be  improper  to  mention  the  diseases  incident  to 
Virginia.  Distempers  come  not  there  by  choaking  up  the 
spirits,  with  a  foggy  and  thick  air,  as  in  some  northern 
climes ;  nor  by  a  stifling  heat,  that  exhales  the  vigor  of 
those  that  dwell  in  a  more  southerly  latitude  :  but  by  a  will 
ful  and  foolish  indulging  themselves  in  those  pleasures, 
which  in  a  warm  and  fruitful  country,  nature  lavishes  upon 
mankind,  for  their  happiness,  and  not  for  their  destruction. 

Thus  I  have  seen  persons  impatient  of  heat,  lie  almost 
naked  upon  the  cold  grass  in  the  shades,  and  there,  often 
forgetting  themselves,  fall  asleep.  Nay,  many  are  so  im 
prudent,  as  to  do  this  in  an  evening,  and  perhaps  lie  so  all 
night  j  when  between  the  dew  from  heaven,  and  the  damps 
from  the  earth,  such  impressions  are  made  upon  the  humors 
of  their  body,  as  occasion  fatal  distempers. 

Thus  also  have  I  seen  persons  put  into  a  great  heat  by 
excessive  action,  and  in  the  midst  of  that  heat,  strip  off 
their  clothes,  and  expose  their  open  pores  to  the  air.  Nay, 
I  have  known  some  mad  enough  in  this  hot  condition,  to 
take  huge  draughts  of  cold  water,  or  perhaps  of  milk  and 
water,  which  they  esteem  much  more  cold  in  operation  than 
water  alone. 

And  thus  likewise  have  I  seen  several  people,  (especially 
new-comers,)  so  intemperate  in  devouring  the  pleasant  fruits, 
that  they  have  fallen  into  dangerous  fluxes  and  surfeits. 
These,  and  such  like  disorders,  are  the  chief  occasions  of 
their  diseases. 


DISEASES    INCIDENT    TO     VIRGINIA.  253 

§  83.  The  first  sickness  that  any  new-comer  happens  to 
have  there,  he  unfairly  calls  a  seasoning,  be  it  fever,  ague, 
or  any  thing  else,  that  his  own  folly  or  excesses  bring  upon 
him. 

Their  intermitting  fevers,  as  well  as  their  agues,  are  very 
troublesome,  if  a  fit  remedy  be  not  applied  ;  but  of  late  the 
doctors  there  have  made  use  of  the  Cortex  Peruvians  with 
success,  and  find  that  it  seldom  or  never  fails  to  remove  the 
fits.  The  planters,  too,  have  several  roots  natural  to  the 
country,  which  in  this  case  they  cry  up  as  infallible  ;  and  I 
have  found  by  many  examples  a  total  immersion  in  cold 
spring  water,  just  at  the  accession  of  the  fit  an  infallible 
cure. 

§  84.  When  these  damps,  colds  and  disorders  afTect  the 
body  more  gently,  and  do  not  seize  people  violently  at  first ; 
then  for  want  of  some  timely  application,  (the  planters  ab 
horring  all  physic,  except  in  desperate  cases,)  these  small 
disorders  are  suffered  to  go  on,  until  they  grow  into  a 
cachexie,  by  which  the  body  is  overrun  with  obstinate  scor 
butic  humors.  And  this  in  a  more  fierce,  and  virulent  de 
gree,  I  take  to  be  the  yaws. 

§85.  The  gripes  is  a  distemper  of  the  Caribbee  islands, 
not  of  that  country,  and  seldom  gets  footing  there,  and  then 
only  upon  great  provocations  ;  namely,  by  the  intemperance 
before  mentioned,  together  with  an  unreasonable  use  of  filthy 
and  unclean  drinks.  Perhaps  too  it  may  come  by  new  un- 
fine  cider,  perry  or  peach  drink,  which  the  people  are  im 
patient  to  drink  before  it  is  ready  ;  or  by  the  excessive  use 
of  lime  juice,  and  foul  sugar  in  punch  and  flip  ;  or  else  by 
the  constant  drinking  of  uncorrected  beer,  made  of  such 
windy  unwholesome  things  as  some  people  make  use  of  in 
brewing. 

Thus  having  fairly  reckoned  up  the  principal  inconveni 
ences  of  the  climate,  and  the  distempers  incident  to  the 
country,  I  shall  add  a  chapter  of  the  recreations  and  amuse 
ments  used  there,  and  proceed  to  the  natural  benefits  they 
enjoy.  After  which,  I  shall  conclude  with  some  hints  con 
cerning  their  trade  and  improvements. 


CHAPTER  XXI. 


OF    THE    RECREATIONS    AND    PASTIMES    USED    IN    VIRGINIA. 

§  86.  For  their  recreation,  the  plantations,  orchards  and 
gardens  constantly  afford  them  fragrant  and  delightful  walks. 
In  their  woods  and  fields,  they  have  an  unknown  variety  of 
vegetables,  and  other  rarities  of  nature  to  discover  and  ob 
serve.  They  have  hunting,  fishing  and  fowling,  with  which 
they  entertain  themselves  an  hundred  ways.  There  is  the 
most  good  nature  and  hospitality  practiced  in  the  world, 
both  towards  friends  and  strangers :  but  the  worst  of  it  is? 
this  generosity  is  attended  now  and  then  with  a  little  too 
much  intemperance.  The  neighborhood  is  at  much  the 
same  distance  as  in  the  country  in  England  ;  but  the  good 
ness  of  the  roads,  and  the  fairness  of  the  weather,  bring 
people  often  together. 

§87.  The  Indians,  as  I  have  already  observed,  had  in 
their  hunting,  a  way  of  concealing  themselves,  and  coming 
up  to  the  deer,  under  the  blind  of  a  stalking  head,  in  imi 
tation  of  which,  many  people  have  taught  their  horses  to 
stalk  it,  that  is,  to  walk  gently  by  the  huntsman's  side,  to 
cover  him  from  the  sight  of  the  deer.  Others  cut  down 
trees  for  the  deer  to  browse  upon,  and  lie  in  wait  behind 
them.  Others  again  set  stakes,  at  a  certain  distance  within 
their  fences,  where  the  deer  have  been  used  to  leap  over 
into  a  field  of  peas,  which  they  love  extremely  ;  these 
stakes  they  so  place,  as  to  run  into  the  body  of  the  deer, 
when  he  pitches,  by  which  means  they  impale  him  ;  and 
for  a  temptation  to  the  leap  take  down  the  top  part  of  the 
fence. 

§  88.  They  hunt  their  hares,  (which  are  very  numerous,) 


RECREATIONS    AND    PASTIMES.  255 

a  foot,  with  mongrels  or  swift  dogs,  which  either  catch  them 
quickly,  or  force  them  to  hole  in  a  hollow  tree,  whither  all 
their  hares  generally  tend  when  they  are  closely  pursued. 
As  soon  as  they  are  thus  holed,  and  have  crawled  up  into 
the  body  of  the  tree,  the  business  is  to  kindle  a  fire,  and 
smother  th-em  with  smoke,  till  they  let  go  their  hold,  and 
fall  to  the  bottom  stifled  ;  from  whence  they  take  them.  If 
they  have  a  mind  to  spare  their  lives,  upon  turning  them 
loose,  they  will  be  as  fit  as  ever  to  hunt  at  another  time  ; 
for  the  mischief  done  them  by  the  smoke  immediately  wears 
off  again. 

§  89.  They  have  anoth'er  sort  of  hunting,  which  is  very 
diverting,  and  that  they  call  vermin  hunting  ;  it  is  performed 
a  foot,  with  small  dogs  in  the  night,  by  the  light  of  the 
tnoon  or  stars.  Thus  in  summer  time  ihey  find  abundance 
of  raccoons,  opossums  and  foxes  in  the  corn  fields,  and 
about  their  plantations  :  but  at  other  times  they  must  go  into 
the  woods  for  them.  The  method  is  to  go  out  with  three 
or  four  dogs,  and  as  soon  as  they  come  to  the  place  they 
bid  the  dogs  seek  out,  and  all  the  company  follow  immedi 
ately.  Wherever  a  dog  barks,  you  may  depend  upon  find 
ing  the  game ;  and  this  alarm  draws  both  men  and  dogs 
that  way.  If  this  sport  be  in  the  woods,  the  game,  by  the 
time  you  come  near  it,  is  perhaps  mounted  to  the  top  of  an 
high  tree,  and  then  they  detach  a  nimble  fellow  up  after  it, 
who  must  have  a  scuffle  with  the  beast  before  he  can  throw 
it  down  to  the  dogs  ;  and  then  the  sport  increases,  to  see  the 
vermin  encounter  those  little  curs.  In  this  sort  of  hunting, 
they  also  carry  their  great  dogs  out  with  them ;  because 
wolves,  bears,  panthers,  wild  cats,  and  all  other  beasts  of 
prey,  are  abroad  in  the  night. 

For  wolves  they  make  traps  and  set  guns  baited  in  the 
woods,  so  that  when  he  offers  to  seize  the  bait,  he  pulls 
the  trigger,  and  the  gun  discharges  upon  him.  What 
JClian  and  Pliny  write,  of  the  horses  being  benumed  in 
their  legs,  if  they  tread  in  the  track  of.  a  wolf,  does  not 
hold  good  here ;  for  I  myself,  aud  many  others,  have  rid 


256  RECREATIONS    AND    PASTIMES. 

full  speed  after  wolves  in  the  woods,  and  have  seen  live 
ones  taken  out  of  a  trap,  and  dragged  at  a  horse's  tail  ;  and 
yet  those  that  followed  on  horse  back,  have  not  perceived 
any  of  their  horses  to  falter  in  their  pace. 

§  90.  They  have  many  pretty  devices  besides  the  gun  to 
take  wild  turkeys  ;  and  among  others,  a  friend  of  mine  in 
vented  a  great  trap,  wherein  he  at  times  caught  many  tur 
keys,  and  particularly  seventeen  at  one  time  ;  but  he  could 
not  contrive  it  so  as  to  let  others  in,  after  he  had  entrapped 
the  first  flock,  until  they  were  taken  out. 

§  91.  The  Indian  invention  of  weirs  in  fishing  is  mightily 
improved  by  the  English,  besides  which  they  make  use 
of  seins,  trolls,  casting  nets,  setting  nets,  hand  fishing  and 
angling,  and  in  each  find  abundance  of  diversion.  I  have 
sat  in  the  shade  at  the  heads  of  the  rivers  angling,  and 
spent  as  much  time  in  ^taking  the  fish  off  the  hook  as 
in  waiting  for  their  taking  it.  Like  those  of  the  Euxine 
sea,  they  also  fish  with  spilyards,  which  is  a  long  line 
staked  out  in  the  river,  and  hung  with  a  great  many 
hooks  on  short  strings,  fastened  to  the  main  line,  about 
three  or  four  feet  asunder,  supported  by  stakes,  or  buoyed 
up  with  gourds.  They  use  likewise  the  Indian  way  of 
striking  the  light  of  a  fire  in  the  night,  as  is  described  in 
the  second  book,  chapter  5,  section  23. 

§  92.  Their  fowling  is  answerable  to  their  fishing  for 
plenty  of  game  in  its  proper  season.  Some  plantations 
have  a  vast  variety  of  it,  several  sorts  of  which  I  have 
not  yet  mentioned,  as  beaver,  otter,  squirrels,  patridges, 
pigeons,  and  an  infinite  number  of  small  birds,  &c. 

§  93.  The  admirable  economy  of  the  beavers  deserves 
to  be  particularly  remembered.  They  cohabit  in  one  hou  se 
are  incorporated  in  a  regular  form  of  government,  some- 
thing  like  monarchy,  and  have  over  them  a  superintendent, 
which  the  Indians  call  pericu.  He  leads  them  out  to 
their  several  employments,  which  consist  in  felling  of  trees, 
biting  off  the  branches,  and  cutting  them  into  certain 
lengths,  suitable  to  the  business  they  design  them  for,  all 


RECREATIONS    AND    PASTIMES.  257 

which  they  perform  with  their  teeth.  When  this  is  done, 
the  pericu  orders  several  of  his  subjects  to  join  together, 
and  take  up  one  of  those  logs,  which  they  must  carry  to 
their  house  or  dam,  as  occasion  requires.  He  walks  in 
state  by  them  all  the  while,  and  sees  that  every  one  bears 
his  equal  share  of  the  burthen  •  while  he  bites  with  his 
teeth,  and  lashes  with  his  tail,  those  that .  lag  behind,  and 
do  not  lend  all  their  strength  ,•  their  way  of  carriage  is 
upon  their  tail.  They  commonly  build  their  houses  in 
swamps,  and  then  to  raise  the  water  to  a  convenient  height, 
they  make  a  dam  with  logs,  and  a  binding  fort  of  clay,  so 
firm,  that  though  the  water  runs  continually  over,  it  can 
not  wash  it  away.  Within  these  dams  they'l  inclose  water 
enough  to  make  a  pool  like  a  mill  pond  j  and  if  a  mill 
happen  to  be  built  on  the  same  stream,  below  their  dam, 
the  miller,  in  a  dry  season,  finds  it  worth  his  while  to 
cut  it,  to  supply  his  mill  with  water.  Upon  which  disaster 
the  beavers  are  so  expert  at  their  work,  that  in  one  or 
two  nights'  time  they  will  repair  the  breach,  and  make  it 
perfectly  whole  again.  Sometimes  they  build  their  houses 
in  a  broad  marsh,  where  the  tide  ebbs  and  flows,  and  then 
they  make  no  dam  at  all.  The  doors  into  their  houses 
are  under  water.  I  have  been  at  the  demolishing  of  one 
of  these  houses,  that  was  found  in  a  marsh,  and  was  sur 
prised  to  find  it  fortified  with  logs,  that  were  six  feet  long, 
and  ten  inches  through,  and  had  been  carried  at  least  one 
hundred  and  fifty  yards.  This  house  was  three  stories 
high,  and  contained  five  rooms,  that  is  to  say,  two  in  the 
lower,  two  in  the  middle  story,  and  but  one  at  the  top. 
These  creatures  have  a  great  deal  of  policy,  and  know 
how  to  defeat  all  the  subtiity  and  stratagems  of  the  hunter, 
who  seldom  can  meet  with  them,  tho'  they  are  in  great 
numbers  all  over  the  country. 

§  94.  There  is  yet  another  kind  of  sport,  which  the  young 

people   take  great    delight   in,   and   that  is,   the    hunting  of 

wild  horses  ;    which   they  pursue  sometimes  with   dogs,  and 

sometimes    without.       You    must    know    they    have    many 

33 


258  RECREATIONS    AND    PASTIMES. 

horses  foaled  in  the  woods  of  the  uplands,  that  never  were 
in  hand,  and  are  as  shy  as  any  savage  creature.  These 
having  no  mark  upon  them,  belong  to  him  that  first  takes 
them.  However,  the  captor  commonly  purchases  these 
horses  very  dear,  by  spoiling  better  in  the  pursuit  ;  in  which 
case  he  has  little  to  make  himself  amends,  besides  the 
pleasure  of  the  chase.  And  very  often  this  is  all  he  has 
for  it  ;  for  the  wild  horses  are  so  swift,  that  'tis  difficult  to 
catch  them  ;  and  when  they  are  taken,  'tis  odds  but  their 
grease  is  melted,  or  else  being  old,  they  are  so  sullen,  that 
they  can't  be  tamed. 

§  95.  The  inhabitants  are  very  courteous  to  travelers, 
who  need  no  other  recommendation,  but  the  being  human 
creatures.  A  stranger  has  no  more  to  do,  but  to  enquire 
upon  the  road,  where  any  gentleman  or  good  housekeeper 
lives,  and  there  he  may  depend  upon  being  received  with 
hospitality.  This  good  nature  is  so  general  among  their 
people,  that  the  gentry,  when  they  go  abroad,  order  their 
principal  servant  lo  entertain  all  visitors,  with  everything  the 
plantation  affords.  And  the  poor  planters,  who  have  but 
one  bed,  will  very  often  sit  up,  or  lie  upon  a  form  or 
couch  all  night,  to  make  room  for  a  weary  traveler,  to 
repose  himself  after  his  journey. 

If  there  happen  to  be  a  churl,  that  either  out  of  covet- 
ousness,  or  ill  nature,  won't  comply  with  this  generous 
custom,  he  has  a  mark  of  infamy  set  upon  him,  and  is 
abhorred  by  all. 


CHAP  TEE    XXII. 


OF    THE    NATURAL    PRODUCTS    OF    VIRGINIA,   AND    THE    ADVAN 
TAGES     OF     THEIR     HUSBANDRY. 

/ 

§  96.  The  extreme  fruitfulness  of  that  country,  has  been 
sufficiently  shown  in  the  second  book,  and  I  think  we 
may  justly  add,  that  in  that  particular  it  is  not  exceeded 
by  any  other.  No  seed  is  sown  there,  but  it  thrives  ;  and 
most  of  the  northern  plants  are  improved,  by  being  trans 
planted  thither.  And  yet  there's  very  little  improvement 
made  among  them,  seldom  anything  used  in  traffic  but 
tobacco.  • 

Besides  all  the  natural  productions  mentioned  in  the 
second  book,  you  may  take  notice  that  apples  from  the 
seed  never  degenerate  into  crabs  there,  but  produce  as  good 
or  perhaps  better  fruit  than  the  mother  tree,  (which  is  not 
so  in  England,)  and  are  wonderfully  improved  by  grafting 
and  managing  ;  yet  there  are  very  few  planters  that  graft 
at  all,  and  much  fewer  that  take  any  care  to  get  choice 
fruits. 

The  fruit  trees  are  wonderfully  quick  of  growth  ;  so 
that  in  six  or  seven  years  time  from  the  planting,  a  man 
may  bring  an  orchard  to  bear  in  great  plenty,  from  which 
he  may  make  store  of  good  cider,  or  distill  great  quantities 
of  brandy  ;  for  the  cider  is  very  stong,  and  yields  abun 
dance  of  spirit.  Yet  they  have  very  few,  that  take  any 
care  at  all  for  an  orchard  ;  nay,  many  that  have  good  or 
chards  are  so  negligent  of  them  as  to  let  them  go  to  ruin, 
and  expose  the  trees  to  be  torn  and  barked  by  the  cattle. 

Peaches,  nectarines,  and  apricots,  as  well  as  plumbs   and 


60  NATURAL     PRODUCTS     OF     VIRGINIA. 

cherries,  grow  there  upon  standard  trees.  They  commonly 
bear  in  three  years  from  the  stone,  and  thrive  so  exceed 
ingly,  that  they  seem  to  have  no  need  of  grafting  or 
inoculating,  if  any  body  would  be  so  good  a  husband  ; 
and  truly  I  never  heard  of  any  that  did  graft  either  plum, 
nectarine,  peach  or  apricot  in  that  country,  before  the  first 
edition  of  this  book. 

Peaches  and  nectarines  I  believe  to  be  spontaneous,  some 
where  or  other  on  that  continent,  for  the  Indians  have,  and 
ever  had  greater  variety,  and  finer  sorts  otf  them  than  the 
English.  The  best  sort  of  these  cling  to  the  stone,  and 
will  not  come  off  clear,  which  they  call  plum  nectarines, 
aud  plum  peaches,  or  cling  stones.  Some  of  these  are 
twelve  or  thirteen  inches  in  the  girt.  These  sorts  of  fruits 
are  raised  so  easily  there,  that  some  good  husbands  plant 
great  orchards  of  them,  purposely  for  their  hogs  ;  and  others 
make  a  drink  of  them,  which  they  call  mobby,  and  either 
drink  it  as  cider,  or  distill  it  off  for  brandy.  This  makes 
the  best  spirit  next  to  grapes. 

Grape  vines  of  the  English  stock,  as  well  as  those  of 
their  own  production,  bear  most  abundantly,  if  they  are 
suffered  to  run  near  the  ground,  and  increase  very  kindly 
by  slipping  ;  yet  very  few  have  them  at  all  in  their  gar 
dens,  much  less  endeavor  to  improve  them  by  cutting  or 
laying.  But  since  the  first  impression  of  this  book,  some 
vineyards  have  been  attempted,  and  one  is  brought  to  per 
fection,  of  seven  hundred  and  fifty  gallons  a  year.  The 
wine  drinks  at  present  greenish,  but  the  owner  doubts  not 
of  good  wine^  in  a  year  or  two  more,  and  takes  great 
delight  that  way. 

When  a  single  tree  happens  in  clearing  the  ground,  to 
be  left  standing,  with  a  vine  upon  it,  open  to  the  sun 
and  air,  that  vine  generally  produces  as  much  as  four  or 
five  others,  that  remain  in  the  woods.  1  have  seen  in  this 
case,  more  grapes  upon  one  single  vine,  than  would  load 
a  London  cart.  And  for  all  this,  the  people  till  of  late 
never  removed  any  of  them  into  their  gardens,  but  con- 


NATURAL     PRODUCTS     OF     VIRGINIA  261 

tinted  themselves  throughout  the  whole  country  with  the 
grapes  they  found  thus  wild. 

A  garden  is  no  where  sooner  made  than  there,  either  for 
fruits  or  flowers.  Tulips  from  the  seed,  flower  the  second 
year.  All  sorts  of  herbs  have  there  a  perfection  in  their 
flavor,  beyond  what  I  ever  tasted  in  a  more  northern 
climate.  And  yet  they  havn't  many  gardens  in  that  country, 
fit  to  bear  the  name  of  garden. 

§  97:'  All  sorts  of  English  grain  thrive,  and  increase 
theie,  as  well  as  in  any  other  part  of  the  world,  as  for 
example,  wheat,  barley,  oats,  rye,  peas,  rape,  &c.  And 
yet  they  don't  make  a  trade  of  any  of  them.  Their  peas 
indeed  are  troubled  with  weevils,  which  eat  a  hole  in  them, 
but  this  hole  does  neither  damage  the  seed,  nor  make  the 
peas  unfit  for  boiling.  And  such  as  are  sowed  late,  and 
gathered  after  August,  are  clear  of  that  inconvenience. 

It  is  thought  too  much  for  the  same  man,  to  make  the 
wheat,  and  grind  it,  bolt  it,  and  bake  it  himself.  And  it 
is  too  great  a  charge  for  every  planter,  who  is  willing  to  sow 
barley,  to  build  a  malt  house,  and  brew  house  too,  or  else 
to  have  no  benefit  of  his  barley  ;  nor  will  it  answer,  if  he 
would  be  at  the  charge.  These  things  can  never  be  ex 
pected  from  a  single  family  ;  but  if  they  had  cohabitations, 
it  might  be  thought  worth  attempting.  Neither  as  they 
are  now  settled,  can  they  find  any  certain  market  for 
their  other  grain,  which,  if  they  had  towns,  would  be 
quite  otherwise.  / 

Rice  has  been  tried  there,  and  is  found  to  grow  as 
well  as  in  Carolina  ;  but  it  labors  under  the  same  incon 
venience,  the  want  of  a  community  to  husk  and  clean  it, 
and,  after  all,  to  take  it  off  the  planter's  hands. 

§  98.  1  have  related  at  large  in  the  first  book  how 
flax,  hemp,  cotton,  and  the  silk  worms  have  thriven  there 
in  the  several  essays  made  upon  them  ;  how  formerly 
there  was  encouragement  given  for  making  t)f  linen,  silk, 
<fcc.,  and  how  all  persons  not  performing  several  things  to 
wards  producing  of  them  were  put  under  a  fine  ;  but  now 


262  NATURAL     PRODUCTS     OF     VIRGINIA. 

all  encouragement  of  such  things  is  taken  away  or  entirely 
dropped  by  the  assemblies,  and  such  manufactures  are  al 
ways  neglected  when  tobacco  bears  anything  of  a  price. 

Silk  grass  is  there  spontaneous  in  many  places.  I  need 
not  mention  what  advantage  may  be  made  of  so  useful  a 
plant,  whose  fibres  are  as  fine  as  flax,  and  much  stronger 
than  hemp.  Mr.  Purchass  tells  us,  in  his  Fourth  Pilgrim, 
page  1786,  that  in  the  first  discovery  of  this  part  of  the 
worlJ  they  presented  Q,ueen  Elizabeth  with  a  piece  of 
grogram  that  had  been  made  of  it.  And  yet  to  this  day 
they  make  no  manner  of  use  of  this  plant,  no,  not  so 
much  as  the  Indians  did,  before  the  English  came  among 
them,  who  then  made  their  baskets,  fishing  nets,  and  lines 
of  it. 

§  99^  The  sheep  increase  well,  and  bear  good  fleeces ; 
but  they  generally  are  suffered  to  be  torn  off  their  backs 
by  briars  and  bushes,  instead  of  being  shorn,  or  else  are 
left  rotting  upon  the  dunghill  with  their  skins. 

Bees  thrive  there  abundantly,  and  will  very  easily 
yield  to  the  careful  housewife  a  full  hive  of  honey,  and 
besides  lay  up  a  winter  store  sufficient  to  preserve  their 
stocks. 

The  beeves,  when  any  care  is  taken  of  them  in  the 
winter,  come  to  good  perfection.  They  have  noble  marshes 
there,  which,  with  the  charge  of  draining  only,  would 
make  as  fine  pastures  as  any  in  the  world  ;  and  yet  there 
is  hardly  an  hundred  acres  of  marsh  drained  throughout 
the  whole  country. 

Hogs  swarm  like  vermin  upon  the  earth,  and  are 
often  accounted  such,  insomuch,  that  when  an  inventory  of 
any  considerable  man's  estate  is  taken  by  the  executors r 
the  hogs  are  left  out,  and  not  listed  in  the  appraisement. 
The  hogs  run  where  they  list,  and  find  their  own  sup 
port  in  the  woods,  without  any  care  of  the  owner  ;  and 
in  many  plantations  it  is  well  if  the  proprietor  can  find 
and  catch  the  pigs,  or  any  part  of  a  farrow,  when  they 
are  young  to  mark  them  ;  for  if  there  be  any  marked  in  a 


NATURAL     PRODUCTS     OF     VIRGINIA.  263 

gang  of  hogs,  they  determine  the  propriety  of  the  rest, 
because  they  seldom  miss  their  gangs  ;  but  as  they  are 
bred  in  company,  so  they  continue  to  the  end,  except 
sometimes  the  boars  ramble. 

§  JOO.  The  woods  produce  great  variety  of  incense  and 
sweet  gums,  which  distill  from  several  trees  ;  as  also  trees 
bearing  honey  and  sugar,  as  before  was  mentioned.  Yet 
there's  no  use  made  of  any  of  them,  either  for  profit  or 
refreshment, 

All  sorts  of  naval  stores  may  be  produced  there,  as 
pitch,  tar,  rosin,  turpentine,  plank,  timber,  and  all  sorts 
of  masts  and  yards,  besides  sails,  cordage  and  iron,  and 
all  these  may  be  transported  by  an  easy  water  carriage. 

§  101.  These,  and  a  thousand  other  advantages,  that 
country  naturally  affords,  which  its  inhabitants  make  no 
manner  of  use  of.  They  can  see  their  naval  stores  daily 
benefit  other  people,  who  send  thither  to  build  ships,  while 
they,  instead  of  promoting  such  undertakings  among  them 
selves,  and  easing  such  as  are  willing  to  go  upon  them, 
allow  them  no  manner  of  encouragement,  but  rather  the 
contrary.  They  receive  no  benefit,  nor  refreshment,  from 
the  sweets  and  precious  things  they  have  growing  amongst 
them,  but  make  use  of  the  industry  of  England  for  all 
such  things. 

'/  What  advantages  do  they  see  the  neighboring  plantations 
make  of  their  grain  and  provisions,  while  they,  who  can 
produce  them  infinitely  better,  not  only  neglect  the  making 
a  trade  thereof,  but  even  a  necessary  provision  against  an 
accidental  scarcity,  contenting  themselves  with  a  supply  of 
food  from  hand  to  mouth  ;  so  that  if  it  should  please  God 
to  send  them  an  unseasonable  year,  there  would  not  be 
found  in  the  country  provision  sufficient  to  support  the  peo 
ple  for  three  months  extraordinary.  / 

By  reason  of  the  unfortunate  method  of  the  settlement, 
and  want  of  cohabitation,  they  cannot  make  a  beneficial  use 
of  their  flax,  hemp,  cotton,  silk,  silk  grass  and  wool,  which 
might  otherwise  supply  their  necessities,  and  leave  the  pro- 


264  NATURAL     PRODUCTS     OF     VIRGINIA. 

duce   of    tobacco   to   enrich   them,   when    a    gainful    market 
can   be  found   for  it. 

Thus,  they  depend  altogether  upon  the  liberality  of  na 
ture,  without  endeavoring  to  improve  its  gifts  by  art  or 
industry.  They  spunge  upon  the  blessings  of  a  warm  sun, 
and  a  fruitful  soil,  and  almost  grudge  the  pains  of  gathering 
in  the  bounties  of  the  earth.  I  should  be  ashamed  to  pub 
lish  this  slothful  indolence  of  my  countrymen,  but  that  I 
hope  it  will  sometime  or  other  rouse  them  out  of  their  leth 
argy,  and  excite  them  to  make  the  most  of  all  those  happy 
advantages  which  nature  has  given  them  ;  and  if  it  does 
this,  I  am  sure  they  will  have  the  goodness  to  forgive  me. 


FINlb. 


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